Circle K store collapse in HCMC kills one

A teenage girl was confirmed dead and eight others slightly injured as a Circle K convenience store in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 4 collapsed from its first floor on Wednesday.

The accident happened suddenly at around 9 a.m. at the store, about 40 square meters in area, while shoppers were inside. Neighbors and rescue workers rushed to the site as fast as they could, witnesses said.

A teenage girl was rushed to District 4 Hospital. Later, Dr. Nguyen Duy Long, director of 115 Emergency Center, said the victim was 15 and was confirmed dead. He added when she was found at the accident site, her heart had stopped.

The eight others were trapped under goods, bricks and steel frames, but were rescued. They were all seen slightly injured, according to witnesses.

The girl, a ninth grader, was carried out of the mess at 9:45 a.m. She was unconscious and rushed to District 4 Hospital, but succumbed to injuries later, the hospital director said.

At the site, Major Huynh Nguyen Thuan, deputy captain of the Fire and Rescue Force, HCMC, told reporters that his unit was informed of the accident at around 9 a.m.

He added the store’s first floor was seen overloaded with goods and items in stock, which may have caused the incident.

The accident took place just a few days before the Lunar New Year holiday, the year’s top sales period. Therefore, shops and stores are normally filled with stock.

At around 10:30 a.m., rescue workers were still searching for people possibly trapped inside.

Local residents told media that the store was recently under repair and reopened not long ago.

Circle K is a Canadian brand and is among the popular convenient store networks in Vietnam.