Vietnam’s metropolises are notorious for many things: frequent flooding, a convoluted system of electrical wires and severe road congestion, for starters. However, in recent years, the rapid growth of major cities has given birth to a brand new problem that, at a glance, may seem less severe than the aforementioned issues but is no less deadly: towering advertising banners.
Just last month, a karaoke parlor fire in the heart of Hanoi’s busiest entertainment quarter claimed 13 lives and reduced four buildings to ashes. The root cause of the calamity was determined to be human error on the part of welding workers, and the shoebox nature of the building – made worse by towering advertising banners in front and alongside the premise – prevented the victims from escaping.
This devastating tragedy prompted municipal authorities in both Hanoi and Saigon to take a closer look at karaoke parlors and commercial buildings in their respective cities. Based on their findings, the current level of fire preparedness in these buildings is dismal, though not completely unexpected.
According to Tuoi Tre, most streets in Saigon's commercial areas are dominated by gigantic banners. At busy roundabouts such as Lang Cha Ca in Tan Binh District and Phu Dong in District 1, every facade on the intersection is occupied by billboards and banners that cover up entire buildings. Along District 10's Su Van Hanh Street, a slew of consecutive karaoke bars compete to have the highest banners. Some even add extra metal frames to extend their scaffolding to above the building’s height.
Nguyen Quy Cap, vice chairman of the HCMC Advertising Association, told Tuoi Tre that shops and karaoke parlors are violating the city’s guidelines on outdoor advertising by covering their entire storefronts with advertising. He explained that according to current rules, horizontal banners can be no more than two meters tall, while vertical ones can’t exceed one meter by four meters in size.
“The responsibility to check and enforce [the rules] lies with the local People’s Committee, however, currently many relevant government agencies are not thorough in their enforcement,” Cap told the news outlet.
Another expert in the HCMC Department of Construction agreed with the assessment of the city’s fire safety situation. He explained that many shops in the southern hub have oversized banners despite current regulations specifying that advertising materials must not cover up doors, windows and fire escapes. Moreover, in the case of karaoke parlors, each room is more often than not padded with styrofoam to provide soundproofing. The highly flammable nature of this material also contributes to a lack of fire safety in these buildings.
[Photo via Tuoi Tre]
