Investigation follows deadly fire at vegetable stall in Ho Chi Minh City

A man died and his wife suffered severe burns after a fire tore through a vegetable stall in Ho Chi Minh City before dawn on Sept. 5.

The fire broke out at more than 1 a.m. in a row of business stalls in Đông Hưng Thuận Ward. Nearby residents raised the alarm and tried to put out the flames before firefighters and rescue officers from Ho Chi Minh City police arrived.

A witness said the couple’s daughter managed to pull her mother out of the burning stall and take her to hospital. The woman’s husband remained trapped inside. Once firefighters brought the blaze under control, officers found him dead in the stall.

The family had rented three adjoining stalls and had sold vegetables and fruit there for years, according to local residents. The fire destroyed or damaged two of the three stalls.

Initial information pointed to suspected arson by the husband. Đông Hưng Thuận police are working with specialist units from Ho Chi Minh City police to examine the scene and review security-camera footage as they investigate the cause.

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When the fire broke out, the family’s daughter managed to pull her mother outside, despite her severe burns, and immediately took her to hospital. The father was trapped inside the stall, which was engulfed in flames.