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EDITIONS
Wednesday, 30 October, 2002, 19:40 GMT
Two Britons die in Vietnam fire
People use a fire engine's ladder to escape
More than 100 people are reported dead
A 59-year-old man from Greater Manchester is one of at least two Britons killed in a fire that took hold of a six-storey building in Vietnam.

The Foreign Office has confirmed John Wallwork from Bolton died in the fire at the Saigon International Business Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, on Tuesday.

The Foreign Office said the other dead Briton was Bruce Tuffee, but a spokeswoman said no other details were available about him.

The fire in Ho Chi Minh City
Many foreign companies are based in the centre
The death toll is reported to be more than 100.

Consular officials are trying to establish if any other British nationals were among the victims.

At least one American is also among the dead.

About 500 people were in the building when it became engulfed by the blaze.

The building houses offices, shops and a disco. State television said the fire broke out in the disco on the second floor, but the cause was not yet known.

Many of the injured are still being treated in hospital.

Early on Wednesday, a policeman at the scene said firefighters were still removing bodies.

Map showing the location of Ho Chi Minh City
City officials said the fire was the city's worst in terms of loss of life and property damage.

"I heard lots of screaming and shouting from inside the building," said Tran Trung Dung, an employee of Saigon Tourist.

"I saw lots of people jumping from the windows. It was a bloody scene."

City officials said the dead included a Croatian and a Vietnamese-American, and the US Consulate said there were unconfirmed reports that other Americans were still missing.

 WATCH/LISTEN
 ON THIS STORY
The BBC's Philip Bromwell
"Vietnam's commercial capital - shattered by sirens and screams"

Click here to go to Manchester
See also:

30 Oct 02 | Asia-Pacific
29 Oct 02 | Asia-Pacific
28 Sep 02 | Country profiles
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