The 'burning village' continues to experience mysterious fires.
(Baonghean.vn) -On September 26th and 27th, two more fires broke out in Luan Phuong hamlet, Dong Van commune (Thanh Chuong district), causing further anxiety among local residents.
Video of the haystack fire on the night of September 27th:
At noon on September 26th, while hauling straw on the road, Mr. Nguyen Duy Tho (54 years old) from Luan Phuong hamlet, Dong Van commune (Thanh Chuong district) suddenly saw smoke and flames rising. He shouted for help, calling on villagers to put out the fire.
According to Mr. Tho, his thatched house burned down on September 18th, and he still had some straw left. He had covered it with a tarp and left it by the roadside during the rainy days. On the morning of September 26th, seeing the sun shining, he took the straw out to dry on the concrete road in front of his house. At 12 noon, after lunch, he went to turn the straw over. While turning it, he saw the straw on the road catch fire, with thick smoke and flames rising about 15 meters from where he was standing. Fortunately, the villagers noticed in time and were able to put out the fire.
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| The pile of straw remaining at Mr. Nguyen Duy Tho's house after the straw shed fire on the night of September 18th. |
Mr. Tho said: "When I was transporting straw on the road, there was no one around because everyone was taking a lunch break. Although I'm always on guard against fires, I was very surprised to see the straw suddenly catch fire on the road."
On the afternoon of September 27th, at the Luân Phượng hamlet cultural center, the Đồng Văn commune police held a forum to listen to the opinions of the people and report crimes. The forum was attended by the Deputy Chief of Police of Thanh Chương district and the leaders of Đồng Văn commune. Local residents requested that the authorities quickly find the cause of the fires. Representatives from the Đồng Văn commune police and the Thanh Chương district police urged local residents to cooperate with the authorities in the investigation. The forum also conducted a secret ballot to report crimes.
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| Police forum listens to people's opinions in Luan Phuong hamlet. |
About two hours after the commune police meeting, at 8 PM on September 27th, the haystack belonging to Mr. Tho, which had been built on the afternoon of September 26th in the garden of Ms. Tran Thi An (whose three-room house was destroyed by fire on August 31st), caught fire again. Hearing the shouts of Mr. Quang – whose house was near the haystack – neighbors quickly rushed to put out the fire. However, by the time they discovered the fire, it had already spread, and despite many people trying to extinguish it, the remaining hay in Mr. Tho's house was completely burned.
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| Flames blazed high on the haystack at Mr. Nguyen Duy Tho's house on the night of September 27th. |
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| Locals participate in putting out the fire at Mr. Tho's haystack. |
Ms. Nguyen Thi Khuong (26 years old), who was among the group extinguishing the haystack fire at Mr. Tho's house, said: "I saw the flames rising high above the haystack, while the outer edges were still burning, but the middle was glowing red, possibly spreading outwards from the center. I'm surprised that fires keep happening repeatedly in families around this area."
This marks the 20th fire in the past three months in Luan Phuong hamlet, with Mr. Nguyen Duy Tho's house alone having been burned four times. Mr. Tho added, "The fear of fire has become constant in my hamlet; not only my family but all the neighbors are very worried."
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Chuong, Chairman of the Dong Van Commune People's Committee, said: "The commune has fully reported to the higher authorities, and the Thanh Chuong District People's Committee has also come to inspect the scene. The police have organized a forum to listen to the opinions of the people and will focus on investigating and verifying the accused. The commune hopes that the authorities will provide support in investigating the causes of the fires in Luan Phuong."
Huy Thu
