A fire occurs at the shopping centre at No. 44 Marywilska in Poland with approximately 1,400 stalls, of which about one-third are owned by Vietnamese individuals. — Wawa Hot News 24/VNA Photo

WARSAW — The Warsaw capital administration is continuously updating on the developments regarding the fire incident that occurred on Sunday at the Shopping Centre No 44 Marywilska, where hundreds of Vietnamese stalls are located, and assistance is readily available.

Monika Beuth, spokesperson for the Warsaw Capital City Hall, said aiding the small traders was essential.

However, the first priority was to ensure the security of the area and completely extinguish the fire. The administration would hold discussions regarding solutions that could assist the small traders since Monday.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and there is no information on casualties. Apart from the rescue forces, specialised personnel in chemicals have been dispatched to the scene to monitor the air quality post-fire.

The monitoring equipment indicates heavy air pollution, but residents are not required to evacuate, they are only asked to close all windows and limit outdoor activities temporarily.

On Sunday, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Poland, Hà Hoàng Hải announced that preliminary information suggested no casualties, but almost all properties had been destroyed by the fire.

Hải said the shopping centre at No 44 Marywilska was a large retail centre in Poland with approximately 1,400 stalls, of which about one-third are owned by Vietnamese.

The fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday.

Approximately 10 minutes after receiving the alert, the first firefighting team arrived at the scene.

However, due to the abundance of goods, including clothing items, coupled with dry weather, the flames spread rapidly. Almost the entire shopping centre was devastated by the fire.

A Vietnamese small trader at the market said that the fire occurred before 4am. Upon receiving the news, he immediately went to the scene and saw flames engulfing many rows of houses.

The capital's firefighting forces, with nearly 200 rescue personnel, joined the firefighting operation, but the fire spread rapidly. Within five to 10 minutes, it quickly engulfed the entire market area due to the presence of many flammable materials and textiles, he said.

After receiving the information, the Vietnamese Embassy in Poland dispatched a task force to the scene and coordinated with the Vietnamese Community Association in Poland to assess the situation and promptly implement citizen protection work.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Poland has posted hotlines for citizen protection to gather information from overseas Vietnamese and is ready to support them in working with relevant authorities, the shopping centre’s Management Board, firefighting forces, and insurance agencies to minimise the consequences of the fire.

Additionally, for those who lost documents in the fire, the Vietnamese Embassy in Poland is ready to provide maximum support for the timely issuance of new documents.

The embassy has also received directives from the Việt Nam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to continue working with local authorities to find optimal solutions to ensure the rights and interests of the affected individuals.

Also on the morning of Sunday, speaking to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in the central and eastern Europe region, Chairman of the Vietnamese Community Association in Poland, Trần Tuấn Anh, said that the association was actively coordinating with the embassy to gather information, provide encouragement and visit affected individuals with damaged stalls, and mobilise initial support contributions. — VNS