Only after they witnessed several fires that occurred within a short period of time at scrap depots in Dong Nai province did local authorities realize the high risks posed in many residential quarters.

 

In 2005, the Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee released a decision on stopping licensing scrap dealers in the locality. However, scrap depots still have been mushrooming since then, putting local residents in danger.

“Scrap depots are located everywhere in Bien Hoa City, from the streets in the central area to the small alleys in the suburbs,” said Pham Van Nam, a resident in Bien Hoa City of Dong Nai province.

“Scrap materials are heaped in piles in houses, and on pavements, which spoil the urban landscape. More seriously, they may explode and burst into flame at any time,” he said. 

The section road that links Pham Van Khoai street and the Dong Nai Stadium is short with just 500 meters in length, but there are two scrap collection points located. 

Industrial waste and domestic garbage both are carried to the place where they are classified into two groups before being carried away for sale. Flammable and explosive scrap materials are also gathered there, near residential quarters.

Bien Hoa’s people all know the scrap depot on Tran Quoc Toan Street, where a mountain of scrap materials is found on an area of just several hundred square meters.

The depot, a temporarily built house, is located in the middle of a residential quarter with many houses and shops. A local resident said families have to live together with the terrible odor from the scrap depot and the danger of “explosion” anytime for many years.

According to the Bien Hoa City People’s Committee, there are some 300 scrap depots in the city. Of these, only a few dozen depots have operation licenses, which were granted prior to 2005, while the others have been operating illegally.

Three fire cases were reported in the first three months of the year. More recently, a case occurred in Quang Loc Hamlet of Quang Tien Commune. The fire took many hours to extinguish.

Prior to that, a serious fire case occurred in An Binh Ward in Bien Hoa City on March 6 and in Bui Chu Hamlet of Bac Son Commune.

The scrap depots in HCM City, from the central area to the suburbs, are also very busy. In Binh Thanh District alone, there are tens of scrap collection points, including two on Chu Van An Street and on the side of Rach Lang bridge. The areas where the two depots are located are also accommodations for dozens of workers.

PL TPHCM