Three firefighters die while fighting fire and rescuing victims

At 13:11 on August 1, 2022, the Information, Command and Control Center of the Hanoi Municipal Police Department detected a fire alarm at 231 Quan Hoa, Quan Hoa ward, Cau Giay district, it mobilized one command vehicle and two fire engines of the Fire and Rescue Police Section of the Cau Giay District Station to the scene. 

As the situation became complicated, the Information, Command and Control Center mobilized additional forces and means to the scene. The total fire forces and means included four fire and rescue police teams from the districts of Cau Giay, Dong Da, Hoan Kiem, firefighters from the Area 2 Fire and Rescue Squad, while the Fire and Rescue Police Department sent five fire engines, two ladder trucks, one rescue vehicle, one water tank truck, one vehicle transport truck to the scene.

The building on fire was a five-floor karaoke bar with a total area of 1,260 sqm. Fire started from the third floor and then quickly spread to upper and lower floors of the hermetically closed building. 

The commander of the on-sport firefighting force decided to organize the firefighting force into two directions. The first team would break into the building to put out fire upward while the second one would use the ladder truck to spray water from the top of the building.

First, three fighters were sent into the building to fight fire and search for victims. Thanks to the firefighters’ guidance, eight victims could get out safely. 

The three fire police officers continued their work of controlling the fire and searching for victims as they had been informed that more victims were still trapped on upper floors. So they went up stairs. When they reached the 4th floor, building and decorative materials from the ceiling suddenly fell down on the stairs, killing the three fire police officers. They are:

1. Lieutenant Colonel Dang Anh Quan, born in 1977, Chief of the Fire and Rescue Police Section of the Cau Giay District Police Station.  2. Lieutenant Do Duc Viet, born in 1998, firefighter at the Fire and Rescue Police Section of the Cau Giay District Police Station.  3. Private Nguyen Dinh Phuc, born in 2003, enlistee at the Fire and Rescue Police Section of the Cau Giay District Police Station.

By 14:15 on the same day, the fire was basically under control while the firefighting police force continued searching for victims.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by authorities.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc extended his deepest condolences to the People's Police force and families of three firefighters who died while tackling a blaze at a karaoke bar in Cau Giay district, Hanoi, on August 1 afternoon.

Three brave firefighters were posthumously promoted to higher rankings under a decision signed by Minister of Public Security, General To Lam, on August 2. The decision was made in recognition of their bravery while fighting the inferno and rescuing the victims.