About 500 motorbikes are destroyed in a fire at a parking lot under Vinh Tuy Bridge in Hanoi on August 30.
Speaking with Dantri/Dtinews on August 31, Chairman of the Hong Ha Ward People's Committee, Le Hong Thang, said that the blaze started at 1 pm on August 30 from an electrical booth near pillar T2 of the bridge before spreading to the parking lot.
Parking staff and a nearby auto repair garage attempted to extinguish the flames with fire extinguishers but failed. At least eight fire trucks were deployed and managed to bring the fire under control at 1.45 pm.
The blaze also caused serious damage to the bridge structure, with large sections of concrete breaking off, steel reinforcement exposed and the underside of the bridge heavily blackened by smoke.
Hanoi’s Department of Construction said it will work with consulting units and the bridge management authority to assess the extent of structural damage and overall safety of the bridge.
Vinh Tuy Bridge, opened in 2009, spans the Red River. It was designed with six lanes for cars and two mixed-use lanes.
