HÀ NỘI — In the wake of a devastating fire that ripped through the Marywilska 44 shopping centre in Warsaw, Poland, on Sunday, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng, who also serves as Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, has extended her heartfelt sympathy to Vietnamese nationals impacted by the blaze.

Through a letter sent on Monday, Hằng expressed her most profound sympathy to the affected families.

She conveyed her belief that during this challenging time, overseas Vietnamese, businesses and organisations in Poland and  across the world as well, will come together in a spirit of solidarity and compassion. This unified front will be crucial in assisting the affected families in overcoming their hardships and finding solutions to rebuild their lives and businesses.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Poland to promptly work with the host authorities to ensure the protection of legitimate rights and interests of those impacted by the fire. The embassy will prioritise expediting assistance with essential documents, allowing the affected families to regain normalcy as quickly as possible.

The Marywilska 44 shopping centre housed an estimated 400 Vietnamese small traders with nearly 600 stalls. Additionally, hundreds of Vietnamese workers found employment in stalls, nail salons, and restaurants within the complex.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Poland Hà Hoàng Hải announced that the embassy will be taking additional steps to support the affected community. This includes opening an extra reception session each week specifically dedicated to receiving and processing consular documents for Vietnamese citizens who lost their documents in the fire. The embassy will also convene meetings with Warsaw's leaders to discuss potential support measures, including document issuance, financial aid, job placement, and a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Poland can be reached via the following hotlines: +48 782 257 359 and +48 601 925 288.

Several Vietnamese enterprises in Poland said they will receive those who lost their jobs after the fire and help the affected establishments to shift their business models.

The Vietnamese associations in the European country has set up a community-support board to help the citizens recover from the incident.— VNS