Low-roofed terraced wooden house in Hanoi’s Chuong Duong Ward pose a major fire risk to local households.

Chairman of Hoan Kiem District People’s Committee Vu Van Vien said the houses were built in the 1960s but many of them had deteriorated seriously and faced high risk of collapse or fire.

Their condition is even worse than many thatched cottages in rural areas. Wooden frames in many of the houses suffer from worm-holes which means owners have had to reinforce the building with iron stakes. Walls are made of bamboo mats which are highly flammable and the roofs are full of holes.

Chuong Duong Ward was home to 17 wooden house terraces. Some years ago, 274 households in seven of them were moved to resettlement areas in Tu Liem and Cau Giay districts.

After a fire at Block 4A in 2005 and another in 2007 at Block 13 some households were forced to move to Duc Giang. After the fire on August 26 this year that burnt down dozens of houses, only eight wooden house blocks are left in Chuong Duong Ward.

Collapse risk

Attacked by worm-holes

Easily broken into by thieves

A two-floor wooden house

Hundreds of local households want to move to other places

Gas stove put between wooden pillars and bamboo mats

Locals say these are the most dangerous houses in Hanoi

Tangled support behind the wooden house

A store

A house is reinforced with steel

Even worse than rural houses 

Fire destroyed house row No. C8 on August 26