Some fled to a balcony as the flames raged while others jumped from floors, according to state media.
Fire caused death at least 23 people and multiple injuries Tuesday night into Wednesday night at a karaoke bar near Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam, one of the deadliest such disasters in Vietnam in recent years.
“We are continuing the search for victims, but the toll now stands at 23 dead and 11 injuredsaid Mai Hung Dung, an official in Binh Nyong province, where the accident occurred. An initial count was 12 dead.
The fire broke out last night at karaoke bar “An Phu” in Tuan An, north of Ho Chi Minh City, which is the industrial center of the country.
“The cause of the fire has not been determined and is under investigation,” said Nguyen Tan Ham, a city official.
The fire destroyed him 2nd and 3rd floor of the building that had four levels and 30 karaoke rooms, trapping customers and staff inside, according to state media.
Some fled to a balcony as flames raged through the wood-paneled interior, while others jumped from floors, according to the same source.
“Many people were able to save themselves by exiting the main entrance, but many others jumped from floorsresulting in broken limbs,” an eyewitness told news website VNExpress.
Thirteen people have died and several injured after a #fire broke out at a busy #karaoke bar in the province of Bình Dương. Around 40 people are being treated at the emergency department of An Phú Hospital, including 11 seriously injured and one case with traumatic brain injury. pic.twitter.com/82fPXHjd3f
— Việt Nam News (@VietnamNewsVNS) September 7, 2022
Pictures taken in the morning showed firefighters working from cranes near windows where smoke was still billowing.
Local police said fire safety measures in the building had been checked before the accident, according to state media.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh today ordered an inspection of facilities at risk, mainly karaoke bars, which are very popular in the country.
This is the deadliest fire in Vietnam after the one in an apartment building in Ho Chi Minh City in 2018 with 13 dead.
A similar tragedy (13 dead) had unfolded in 2016 in a karaoke bar in the capital Hanoi. It had prompted authorities to begin inspections of nightclubs over suspicions they were flouting basic safety rules, especially fire safety.
In August, three firefighters died trying to put out a fire at a karaoke bar in Hanoi.
RES-EMP
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