Hundreds of traders with stalls at Hai Duong Trade Centre blamed a slow response by firefighters for losses estimated at VND500 million (USD23,809) as a result of the recent fire at the centre.

Hai Duong Trade Centre after the fire

On September 16, after the fire, the People’s Committee and the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of the province held a dialogue with more than 500 traders.

Many people cried but said nothing. All of the traders' questions focused on what caused the delay between the time the fire started: 1:00 a.m, and the arrival of the fire brigade 2 hours later. They brought two fire engines, but one ran out of water and the other had technical problems. The traders also wondered about the location of the centre’s security guards when the fire broke out.

Built in 1998, Hai Duong Trade Centre covering 15,000 m2 has three floors. It's been the province’s largest wholesale centre for dozens of years.

Even now, three days later, the fire has not yet been completely controlled as smokes still rises from many parts of the building. Rescue forces and authorities are still unable to enter the building because it's on the verge of collapse.

The fire causes traders' total loss of around VND500 billion

Many traders cried and some even fainted when they saw the destruction. An owner of three electronic appliance stalls worth more than VND10 billion (USD476,190) went mad and left home after the incident.

At the talks with local authorities, the traders all decried the slow and inept work of the firefighters.

Mai Thi Loan, a trader, said, “The fire broke out at a cloth stall at 1:00 a.m  and immediately, local residents and cleaners screamed and called firefighters and mobile police. However, it wasn't until two hours later that the forces came and used some small taps to deal with the fire. I even went down on my knees to beg them to use more water and to break the glass doors in order to get inside the building to better control the fire; but they told me that they had received orders from higher-up about what to do and that's what they were doing.”

A tap put on the tree 

Meanwhile, the centre is surrounded by large roads and is beside  a big lake, not to mention that traders have to pay annual fees for fire prevention and control.

Vice Chairman of the Hai Duong People’s Committee Nguyen Tien Phung said a taskforce has been set up to investigate the case, adding that any violations will be seriously punished.

He noted that the committee had provided funds for the centre’s management board to buy firefighting equipment, but they did nothing.

A police official from the province said, “It is very difficult to control a market fire; even the effort to save Vom Market in Russia failed.”