33-storey vacant building in Hanoi goes up in flames

A huge fire broke out in a vacant 33-storey office building in Hanoi on December 15, engulfing parts of the downtown areas of the capital with heavy black smoke, causing much panic in the vicinity.

A huge fire broke out in a vacant 33-storey office building in Hanoi on December 15, engulfing parts of the downtown areas of the capital with heavy black smoke, causing much panic in the vicinity.

A massive fire hit the 33-storey twin towers of the EVN Center for Telecommunications Information Management in Hanoi on December 15, 2011. (Photo:SGGP)

A massive fire hit the 33-storey twin towers of the EVN Center for Telecommunications Information Management in Hanoi on December 15, 2011. (Photo:SGGP)

The fire is said to have broken out at 4:15 pm when people noticed clouds of smoke billowing out of the buildings.

More than ten fire trucks rushed to the scene while many fire fighters went in to rescue construction workers trapped in the building. Until 7 pm, many workers were still stuck inside the building.

Media reports say 30 workers were rescued, but it was not immediately clear whether there were others trapped inside.

Witnesses said they saw fire in the basement of the 33-storey building. The fire was reportedly caused when sparks from a construction steel welder ignited a pile of rubber dumped in the basement.

The unoccupied building was one amongst two being built for the Center for Telecommunications of the Vietnam Electricity Group, which is the sole power distributer in Vietnam.

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