Hanoi, May 24, (dpa/GNA) – Fourteen people died and three were injured in a serious fire in a residential building in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, local police reported on Friday.

The fire broke out at a house in Hanoi’s busy Cau Giay district around 0:30 am (0530 GMT Thursday).

Hanoi’s firefighters reached the scene after 16 minutes, according to a statement by Hanoi’s police.

However, by the time firefighters reached the scene, the flames had grown strongly, accompanied by several explosions that burned many motorbikes and electric bicycles in the yard area.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

According to the newspaper VnExpress, the affected building consisted of two blocks, one with two floors and the other with three floors.

Emergency services rescued seven people who were trapped, including three who were injured and required emergency treatment at the hospital.

Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control in about an hour.

Fatal fires are common in Vietnam, where safety features such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are haphazardly installed.

Last September, a fire in a nine-story apartment building in Hanoi, the deadliest in Vietnam’s history, claimed the lives of 56 people and left 37 others injured.

GNA