US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Mary Tarnowka said the rapid urbanisation is putting a lot of pressure on infrastructure and accommodation in HCM City.
It is necessary to build quality inspection programmes and apply the latest technology for houses, offices, and public facilities to ensure their safety, she said.
The recent deadly blaze at the Carina Plaza apartment complex in the city’s District 8 has raised the issue of preventing losses by pouring more investment in safety training and assessment, she added.
Major General Doan Viet Manh, head of the police department for fire prevention and rescue under the Ministry of Public Security, called on investors to select the state-of-the-art technology for fire prevention and install smart fire warning systems in buildings.
Pham Minh Ha, head of the State department on assessing quality of construction work under the Ministry of Construction, said the ministry will strengthen coordination with the Ministry of Public Security to inspect the maintenance of fire prevention systems in buildings and strictly handle any violations.
The ministry is carrying out a project on fire safety and increasing the dissemination of life-saving skills for tenants in buildings, he noted.
According to the Construction Ministry, about 600 out of 2,500 old apartment buildings in Vietnam are in dangerous or seriously dilapidated conditions, making up some 25 percent of the total number of old buildings.
In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City which accommodate most old buildings, about ten buildings have been renovated or reconstructed, while the rest are being assessed and expected to be put into the renovation scheme by 2020.
Source: VNA