Students recount moments of panic as fire engulfs Hanoi school, killing one

On Thursday afternoon, a fire broke out at Kim Lien Secondary School in Hanoi, causing panic among students and leaving one person dead. Vy, a student, was dropped off by her mother at the school's temporary campus on Hoang Tich Tri Street when the incident occurred. She had just finished studying for an afternoon literature exam when she heard an explosion and smelled burning.

Vy quickly grabbed her belongings and helped a friend escape through a classroom door, running outside as thick black smoke billowed from a sixth-grade classroom. Students fled the building, pushing and shoving, while teachers directed them towards the main gate and the yard of an adjoining primary school. Vy's mother picked her up later, shaken by the ordeal.

The fire erupted around 12:15 p.m., just after the morning session ended, while many students were still in the building for afternoon classes. Linh, whose child attends the school, heard about the fire and rushed to the scene, finding her child safe. Over 60 firefighters from seven fire engines arrived within four minutes to tackle the blaze, which was largely contained by 12:40 p.m. and fully extinguished by 1 p.m. The sixth-grade building suffered extensive damage, while neighboring buildings also sustained partial fire damage.

Police found one sixth-grade student dead, identified as a classmate of Vy's. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and school officials have been instructed to review safety conditions and emergency procedures.