The Latest: More than 1,100 escape Vietnam fire
By Associated Press
Mar 22, 2018 11:52 PM CDT
In this image taken from video, cranes are used to rescue people from a condominium complex during a fire in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Friday, March 23, 2018. The fire killed over a dozen people, most of them died of suffocation or jumping from high floors. (VnExpress via AP)   (Associated Press)

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The Latest on a condominium fire in Vietnam (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

Vietnam's state media say police rescued more than 100 residents from a condominium fire in Ho Chi Minh City and more than 1,000 escaped the fire themselves.

The blaze early Friday morning killed at least 13 people and injured 27 others. It's not known if there are others missing.

More than 700 apartments are in the three-building complex.

State media quoted fire officials as saying the smoke spread because doors that separated the garage from the upper floors were left open when they should have been closed. The fire started in the basement garage.

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9 a.m.

A city official says a fire at a condominium complex in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City has killed at least 13 people and injured another 27.

The city fire and police department official says it's unclear whether anyone is missing in the blaze early Friday morning and declined to give more details.

More than 700 apartments in the three buildings were built six years ago.

The official Vietnam News Agency reported that most people died of suffocation or jumping from high floors.

It said the blaze started in the basement parking area and took more than 200 firefighters more than an hour to put under control.

In 2002, a fire at a trade center in the southern commercial hub's downtown killed 60 people in one of Vietnam's worst fires.

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