Speaking with Dantri/Dtinews Newspaper at 9 pm on July 28, the chairman of Quynh Thuan Commune People's Committee, Tran Van Trung, said that the fire broke out on one of the boats and then quickly spread to others which were anchored at the Lach Quen Port at about 8 pm.
"Some local residents heard a loud explosion from the boats and rushed out to see the boats catching fire," the official said. "They tried to put out the fire and call the fire services. Rescue activities faced difficulties as the boats started to drift away in strong winds during the fire while smoke went up to tens of metres."
According to a report from local authorities, there were no people inside the boats at that time. Initial investigations showed that the fire might have been caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder.
The fire was brought under control at about 11 pm. Total losses are estimated at over VND10 billion.
