Bar fire kills three in Hai Phong

The fire started on the first floor at around 2 p.m. and then quickly spread to the other three floors.

The bar was designed as a closed tube house and thus there was there was only one front door. As the fire grew stronger it melted the door on the first floor, trapping people inside.

There were no customers at the time of the fire, but four female employees were stuck in the building.

All four managed to climb out onto the fourth-floor balcony to call for help. A 21-year-old woman was rescued while the other three were hit by debris from the fire and had to turn back inside, where they remained trapped.

Seven fire trucks and dozens of firefighters were dispatched to the scene to put out the fire.

Smoke billowed into at least four next door shops, forcing owners to evacuate their goods.

Around 3:30 p.m., the fire was mostly under control and masked firefighters took turns going inside to search for the trapped employees.

The owner of the bar and the victims’ families gathered around waiting for news.

At 6:30 pm, the three bodies of the employees aged 18-21 were removed from the burnt-out structure.

Police are investigating the cause of the fire.

The bar is located in a busy part of town filled with hotels, restaurants and bars near a South Korean neighborhood.