A fire in downtown Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday night burned down nearly ten old houses built during the French colonial period more than a hundred years ago.

 

The fire started at around 11 p.m. at a house in the corner of Le Thi Hong Gam and Pho Duc Chinh Streets, less than 200 meters from Ben Thanh Market.

 

No casualties have been reported and the cause of the fire is still unknown.

 

It took nearly two hours for 11 firetrucks to put out the blaze.

 

The area is home to a large number of small stores selling clothes, footwear, electronics and gas cylinders.

 

City forces had removed dozens of cooking gas cylinders from the area.

 

Local authorities have offered the affected residents a temporary place to stay and are estimating the damage from the fire. Some officials said the houses were already old and downgraded.