The mentally ill man ran away after shouting that someone was burning his house.

The man, who is believed to be mentally ill, ran out of the burning house, shouting that someone was setting the house on fire.

On the morning of December 3, many residents living in alley 1416 Le Duc Tho street, ward 13, Go Vap district, Ho Chi Minh City discovered smoke and fire coming from a level 4 house and shouted.

Police later arrived to control the fire and investigate the cause of the incident. Photo: H.TAM

At that moment, a man ran out of the house screaming that someone was burning my house. After a few minutes, the smoke and fire rose so fiercely that people who were having breakfast nearby ran away, while others, afraid that the fire would spread, moved their belongings.

Local forces mobilized fire extinguishers to control the fire but were unsuccessful. Someone called the police because they were worried that the fire would spread to a nearby paint warehouse.

The fire caused panic among local residents. Photo: H.TAM

The professional fire fighting force of Go Vap district immediately dispatched five vehicles and dozens of officers and soldiers to put out the fire. However, the alley was small, so access was difficult.

After about 10 minutes, the fire was controlled; the fire did not cause any human casualties but burned down a lot of property.

Residents in the area said the house belonged to Mr. Ngo Dinh Toan, 46 years old. This person is said to have mental illness.

Every day, Mr. Toan collects scrap metal and brings it back to the house above. Neighbors said that Mr. Toan burned incense but was careless and caused the fire.

The police are currently inviting Mr. Toan to work and examine the scene to determine the exact cause as well as damage related to the fire.

According to PLO