Fire which occurred during the night in an apartment building in the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, it had an effect to lose their lives “dozens” of tenants, Vietnamese state media reported today, citing the initial casualty count released by authorities.

About 50 victims were taken to hospitals, including “dozens of dead,” Vietnam’s official news agency said, calling it a “very serious fire.”

According to the authorities, emergency services managed to get 70 people out of the burning building.

The fire broke out just before midnight [σ.σ. τοπική ώρα· χθες Τρίτη στις 20:00 ώρα Ελλάδας]eyewitnesses reported.

Videos released by Vietnamese media showed the extent of the destruction, as the fire spread through much of the six-story building in a narrow alleyway of the capital’s neighborhood.

“We couldn’t help them. There is no escape route, it was impossible for the victims to escape,” a local resident told AFP.

In Vietnam, many fatal fires have been recorded in recent years, which has raised suspicions that urban planning regulations and fire safety rules are being systematically violated.

Last year a fire at a karaoke bar near Ho Chi Minh City claimed the lives of 32 people.