Hotel fire in Ho Chi Minh City kills two, sends 17 to hospital

A hotel fire in Ho Chi Minh City killed two people and sent 17 others to hospitals early on Sept. 7, including several patients diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. The victims included 16 adults and a 2-year-old boy.

Thong Nhat Hospital received six victims, two men and four women. Doctors diagnosed three of them with severe carbon monoxide poisoning. Tam Tri Hospital received four patients, while People's Hospital 115 treated two victims for smoke inhalation under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health's protocol. The patients were being transferred to the respiratory department for continued monitoring and care.

Tan Phu Hospital initially received three victims and later transferred one to Thong Nhat Hospital. Children's Hospital 1 treated the 2-year-old boy for smoke inhalation. He was conscious and had stable vital signs.

The fire broke out at about 5:09 a.m. at the T.D. Hotel on Tan Ky Tan Quy Street in Tan Son Nhi Ward. The building had a ground floor, mezzanine, four upper floors and a rooftop, with 19 rooms in total, including 16 rental rooms and three family rooms. The ground-floor rolling door was closed when the fire started, leaving several guests trapped inside and banging on the door for help. People on the rooftop escaped by using ropes to cross to the roofs of nearby homes.

The city's Fire Prevention and Rescue Police mobilized two local rescue teams, seven specialized fire engines and 48 officers and firefighters. Crews approached from stairways, emergency exits and balconies, and used an aerial ladder to locate trapped victims. They safely led 26 people out, and extinguished the fire by 5:17 a.m. The blaze damaged about 12 square meters of the 503-square-meter hotel, while firefighters protected the remaining 491 square meters and nearby homes. Police sealed the scene and are investigating the cause.