u/VelourEgirl

On March 24, 2026, a 20-year-old student named Nguyen Le Tu was heading home from the gym in Hanoi, Vietnam, when he saw a six-story building on fire. Seven people were trapped inside, with the stairwell completely cut off by flames.

Tu first helped two elderly people escape using a ladder from outside. But when he heard that women and children were still trapped deeper inside, he didn't stop — he climbed in.

The smoke was thick and dark. Tu took off his shirt, soaked it in water, pressed it to his face, and felt his way through the burning building in complete darkness. He helped rescue all seven trapped people. Some, including Tu himself, were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

That evening, he called his mother and told her he had just "fallen." He later said he didn't want her to worry.

Tu is a second-year Engineering Physics student at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, known for excellent grades and conduct. Wionews Within days, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union awarded him the "Brave Youth" badge Snopes, and Vietnam's Acting Minister of Education gave him a formal Certificate of Commendation.