The Ministry of Construction has requested localities nationwide thoroughly check and discover unsafe and outdated buildings, especially ancient villas and structures, following the recent collapse of an ancient French villa in downtown Hanoi that left two dead and six injured.
The ministry asked owner and occupants of such structures to stay alert and prevent possible incidents while keeping the authorities informed of any developments.
Building owners and managers are also responsible for maintenance and examination, the ministry said.
Regarding the collapsed villa in Hanoi, the ministry said the scene of the collapse must be analysed and documented, serving as a reference for the investigation.
Buildings surrounding the collapsed villa have been temporarily vacated until possible repercussions from the collapse are addressed.
The collapsed two-storey villa, located at No. 107 Tran Hung Dao street, Hoan Kiem district, is currently managed by the Zone 1 Railway Project Management Board.
According to statistics, Hanoi has 1,586 ancient French villas, including 562 private-owned and 1,024 State-owned ones.-VNA