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| Hundreds of stalls in the market were destroyed by the fire. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Chiến |
Viet Nam News
VIENTIANE — The damage caused by the fire early Tuesday at the Pakse Đào Hương market, a Vietnamese trade centre in the Laos province of Champasak, amounted to nearly US$8 million.
This was announced by the Vietnamese Consulate General who was quoting the estimated figure of the provincial authorities. Hundreds of stalls in the western area of the market spread over 10,000sq. m. were engulfed in the flames. More than 200 overseas Vietnamese traders at the market suffered huge losses.
The chairman of the Champasak Overseas Vietnamese Association, Cao Đình Hạnh, said the association gave 500,000 LAK ($71) each to the affected traders in an attempt to help them stabilise their lives and their businesses.
The Vietnamese Consulate General in Pakse has held working sessions with local authorities to push for investigations into the fire’s cause and undertake measures to support the victims.
The fire broke out at 1am on Tuesday in the western part of the market, where goods stocked included textiles, dried products and jewellery. Constructed in 1999 at a cost of $5 million, the market with 700 stalls opened in 2001. — VNS
