Home explosion kills 3 in Hanoi suburb

A tragic incident occurred in a suburban area of Hanoi on a Thursday afternoon, resulting in the loss of a woman and her two children, while her husband suffered severe burns in an explosion. The event unfolded around 5:45 p.m., with witnesses reporting a loud explosion originating from a one-story house located in the southern commune of Tu Hiep within Thanh Tri District. This area is approximately 12 kilometers away from the downtown area of the capital city.

Eyewitnesses indicated that the explosion bore the hallmarks of a gas tank detonation. As the explosion took place, two motorbike riders passing by were thrown to the ground in front of the house.

The husband, in the midst of this catastrophe, emerged from the house in distress, urgently seeking assistance. He wrapped himself in a blanket and bravely reentered the house in an attempt to rescue his family, as recounted by those who observed the tragic event.

The tragic explosion and ensuing fire claimed the lives of a 31-year-old mother and her two sons, aged 13 and 5. The husband, aged 35, sustained severe burns and is currently receiving medical treatment at a local hospital.

This family originally hailed from the northern province of Nam Dinh and were engaged in collecting scrap materials for a living. Their home contained numerous flammable materials due to the nature of their work.

Preliminary investigations conducted by Hanoi police suggest that the husband was operating a press machine to flatten scrap materials when an accidental mishap occurred. It appears that the press machine inadvertently compressed a can of hairspray, causing it to explode. This aerosol explosion subsequently ignited a nearby gas tank, resulting in the larger and ultimately fatal explosion.