Eyewitnesses said the fire sent dozens of workers rushing outside in panic and burnt down the roof of the cinema and other furniture.
“At around 7:30am, I heard people yelling ‘fire, fire, fire’ when I was having coffee at a tea shop nearby. Then I saw dozens of people rushing into the streets,” Ho Tuan Linh, a local resident, recalled.
The workers tried to battle with the flames using fire extinguishers but they failed. Shortly after, 80 firefighters and 11 fire trucks were deployed to the scene. The fire was completely put out at 8:30am.
Initial investigations found that a gas explosion from an air conditioner might have caused the fire.
Details of the fire are under investigations.
The fire scene located on Cao Thang Street, District 3.
The roof of Thang Long cinema reduced to bare bones following the fire on April 8, 2012.
11 fire trucks deployed to the scene.
Other furniture also burnt to the ground following the fire on April 8, 2012.
The fire on April 8, 2012 also affected a stage in Thang Long Cinema.