By Deutsche Welle (World News) | Created at 2024-12-19 01:55:56 | Updated at 2024-12-19 04:47:32
3 hours ago
A fire in a cafe in Hanoi killed eleven people on Wednesday night, authorities said.
The Vietnam Ministry of Public Security said on Thursday the police have arrested a man suspected of starting the fire after authorities responded to reports of a fire at 11:00 pm (1600 GMT), where many people were feared trapped.
"The police suspect that the cafe was (deliberately) burned down and ... have arrested the perpetrator," Hanoi police said in a statement.
Authorities suspect arsonImage: Hau Dinh/AP Photo/picture allianceAccording to the police, the man admitted to lighting a fire using gasoline on the ground floor of the three-story cafe. This came after he had an argument with staff members of the eatery.
Intense fire hindered rescue attempts
Witnesses told local media that the blaze was too intense for any kind of rescue attempt.
"We were shouting for the victims trapped, but we heard no ask for help from inside the building," a witness said.
Meanwhile, seven people were rescued from the fire, with two of them hospitalized, authorities said.
ss/jsi (AFP, Reuters)
