Midnight fire kills 14 people in Hanoi

A fire at a rental house in an inner-city district of Hanoi killed at least 14 people and injured several others on early Friday morning, adding to a long list of tragic fires in the capital city.

The fire started at 0:30 a.m. on Friday down a deep ally, 200 meters from 119 Trung Kinh street, Cau Giay district.

Three people were injured in the fire and are being treatment at a nearby hospital. They are said to be in a stable condition. Four other people were rescued.

The fire was put under control in less than an hour, but the cost of the damage remains unknown.

The properties, a two-floor house and a three-floor house for rent, were home to seven members of the landlord's family and 17 tenants in 10 rooms.

Central government and Hanoi officials arrived at the scene to inspect the damage and instruct the clean up work.

The fire started in the parking area, witnesses said. Police are investigating the cause of the incident.

Last September, a fire at a mini apartment building in densely-populated Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, killed 56 people and injured 37 others. The landlord was detained and a large number of local officials were disciplined.