Over 50 killed in a massive fire at an apartment building in Vietnam's capital Hanoi

NEW DELHI: Over 50 people were killed after a a fire broke out at a nine-story apartment tower in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday night, news agency AP reported quoting country’s state-run news media said.
Many residents were at home when the fire started around 11:30 p.m., the official Vietnam News Agency reported.
The agency also said that the fire was hard to fight in part because the tower lies in a narrow alley, and fire trucks had to park 300 to 400 meters, or 985 to 1,315 feet, away.
The building in the Thanh Xuan district is home to 45 households.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear Wednesday morning. The fire has been extinguished but rescue operations are continuing.
Last year, a fire at a three-story karaoke bar in southern Vietnam killed 32 people, making it the deadliest fire in the country in a decade.
Television images showed firefighters equipped with hoses and ladders at the scene by night, while a column of thick, dark smoke billowed from the building during the day.
Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, the agency said.
(With inputs from agencies)