HCMC apartment fire forces hundreds to evacuate amid chaos

A fire erupted Saturday evening at The Eratown apartment complex in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate. The fire started around 7:30 p.m. on the 24th floor of block A3, located on 15B Street in Phu My Ward. Smoke quickly spread, prompting the building's fire alarm to sound and residents to rush down emergency stairs.

Mai Huong, a 5th-floor resident, shared that she heard neighbors shouting about the fire and hurriedly evacuated with her young child. "Everyone was packed together in the emergency staircase, panicking," she recalled. The fire generated thick black smoke visible from afar. Nearly ten fire trucks and ambulances arrived, and firefighters, with the building management's support, worked to contain the blaze.

Due to the high floor where the fire originated, it took firefighters time to reach the flames. By 8:30 p.m., the fire was controlled, and rescue teams searched for any trapped residents. Authorities determined an electrical short circuit in the corridor on the 24th floor was the cause.

Firefighters safely guided over ten residents from nearby apartments, and no injuries were reported. As of 10:30 p.m., block A3 remained without power, with residents still awaiting clearance to return to their homes. The Eratown complex, which began construction in 2010, includes nine buildings with more than 3,000 apartments.