THỪA THIÊN HUẾ — Scrap warehouses are posing a threat to crowded residential areas in the central province of Thừa Thiên Huế.

In recent years, several fires have broken out in these warehouses, causing heavy damage to property and injuring people. But they have not been removed, threatening the lives of locals.

Along Highway No.1 through Hương Thủy Township, heaps of scrap have piled up in residential areas. It includes broken electronics, rusty iron, plastic and paper boxes, among others, which pose a high risk of catching fire, Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported.

An explosion was reported recently at a scrap warehouse in Thủy Châu Ward, costing hundreds of millions of đồng.

In 2012, a fire had occurred at this ward’s 400sq.m scrap warehouse. After the fire was extinguished, people found a large bombshell in the ashes. Fortunately, there was no damage.

According to the newspaper’s survey, there are 53 business establishments causing environmental pollution in residential areas, 24 of which are scrap warehouses (accounting for 45.3 per cent).

In Thủy Châu Ward alone, 15 establishments collect and trade in scrap.

In 2012, the People’s Committee of Hương Thủy Township approved a project to relocate these trading units to an area of ​​more than 10ha, but no one has moved so far. 

Some scrap traders said they could not afford to pay for the land or warehouse at the concentrated area.

Nguyễn Thanh Minh, vice chairman of Hương Thủy Township, said the local authorities would mobilise and support scrap-trading households to move to the concentrated area. — VNS