Authorities in HCM City have been persuading residents to remove the extensions at their apartments.
Lieutenant Colonel Tran Xuan Phuong, Deputy Head of the HCM City Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Police Division, on September 18, provided information on the plan to remove the extensions from apartment buildings at a press conference on the city’s socio-economic affairs.
After the deadly fire at the Doc Lap Apartment Building in Phu Tho Hoa Ward that killed eight people in July, local authorities have been persuading and assisting residents to remove the extensions and open secondary escape routes for fire safety. The campaign has been conducted around the clock, including weekends and holidays.
“We have teams with the right equipment ready to assist residents in dismantling once they agree, at no extra cost,” Lieutenant Colonel Phuong said.
According to the police, after about two months of implementation, authorities have persuaded and assisted in dismantling the extensions, colloquially known as tiger cages, at over 14,400 out of more than 15,100 apartments, accounting for 95 per cent. Approximately 716 apartments remain to be cleared.
In the coming period, concerned agencies will continue to urge residents to improve their fire escape skills in apartments, boarding houses, and mixed-use homes, while encouraging them to equip their homes with fire alarms, smoke masks, and escape ladders