Fire engulfs police impound lot in southern Vietnam
TUOI TRE NEWS
UPDATED : 04/09/2017 10:08 GMT + 7
Hundreds of motorbikes were burned down by a fire that broke out at the impound lot in the southern Vietnamese province of Dong Nai on April 8, 2017.
Tuoi Tre
An inferno broke out at the parking lot housing impounded vehicles of a police unit in a southern Vietnamese province on the weekend, burning down hundreds of motorcycles.
The parking lot, about 1,000 square meters in area, of police in Tam Hoa Ward, Bien Hoa City, the capital of Dong Nai Province, caught fire on Saturday, resulting in multiple motorcycles being destroyed.
According to initial reports, the fire erupted at around 2:00 am. Officers from the provincial Department of Firefighting Police were swiftly dispatched to the scene.
The blaze was put out after four hours, the firefighting department reported, confirming that they had prevented the fire from gutting over 1,000 motorbikes at the facility.
However, a section of the impound lot had been devoured by the inferno, with some 320 vehicles completely damaged.
Competent agencies were still investigating the scene to determine the cause of the incident on the morning of the same day.
Regarding compensation, law experts stated that the police unit had the responsibility to ensure that all impounded vehicles were in their original conditions, as per government regulations.
If the police station had authorized a third party to look after the vehicles, such an organization would be responsible for paying the damages.
However, neither of the police or managers of the facility will have to make the compensation if the fire is considered force majeure, as long as the parking lot meets all requirements regarding fire safety.
Whether the incident is force majeure will be confirmed after authorities finalize their investigation.
If an individual is found to have ignited the fire, deliberately or unintentionally, that person will have to make the compensation, the law experts said.
The impound lot following the incident on April 8, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre