Explosive blast at gold shop, all escape safely

The owner of the shop, Phung Thi Canh, her husband, and other members of her family managed to safely escape from the explosion.

At 1:30 am Thursday, while Canh and her relatives were sleeping on the seconf floor of the shop, they heard a loud explosion coming from the ground floor and then the sound of the alarm system that was activated by the explosion.

While black smokes and a burnt smell pervaded throughout the house, the family’s members forced the back door of the house open and escaped safely, she said.

They later found a 30 x 10 cm hole at the bottom of one side of the shop’s folding iron door, which was partly damaged by the explosion.

However, all of the gold displayed in the windows on the ground floor remained intact.

Local police were called to the scene for examination and investigation. They initially concluded that the explosive could have been placed outside the door.

Phung Thi Canh, the gold shop's owner, told police that her family has no enemies (Photo: Tien Phong)

Canh told police that she and her husband have no enemies and they have a good relationship with their neighbors.

She also said she has been involved in the gold business for 20 years and has had no conflicts with any customers or partners.

Canh told police that on November 7, 2010, a robbery occurred in her shop and she lost 200 taels of gold, or 240 ounces, worth US$371,600, to thieves who broke into the house from the terrace.

The police are investigating the explosion to track down suspects.