Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 9 asked the Hanoi People’s Committee and competent agencies to thoroughly solve environmental consequences after a huge blaze in Rang Dong Light Source and Vacuum Flask Joint Stock Company (Rang Dong JSC) last week, local media reported.
What's left of a light bulb warehouse of Rang Dong Light Source and Vacuum Flask JSC after a fire on August 28. Photo: Ha Long
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Accordingly, the top priority is set to residents’ safety during the remediation of the environmental hazard.
Secondly, PM Phuc requested Hanoi’s authorities to move polluting factories out of urban and residential areas.
On the same day, an executive of Rang Dong JSC admitted that all 480,000 fluorescent bulbs that had been destroyed in the blaze contain mercury.
Regarding the remedies for the fire consequences, the Hanoi People’s Committee has requested the Ministry of Defense to help treat environmental pollution and determine the pollution level.
Until now, the Institute of Military Environmental Chemistry under Vietnam’s Chemical Army has already taken samples for testing and it is working on the solutions.
The Division of Criminal Police and the local police garrison in Thanh Xuan district are assigned to investigate the causes of this fire.
Meanwhile, the people are warned against consuming vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish, or meat originated 1km from this area in the next 21 days. Water stored in open reservoirs located in an area of about 1km from the fire site is also said to be not drinkable.
All workers and residents living within a radius of 500 meters from the company’s fence are subject to free checkup lasting until September 12.
Preliminary statistics from Rang Dong JSC showed a property damage worth around VND150 billion (US$6.45 million), equal to nearly 5% of the total asset of this company.
