Horror in Hanoi: an arson attack in a karaoke bar leaves 11 dead and 2 injured. A suspect arrested, the circumstances of the tragedy remain to be clarified… Read more.
A tragedy struck the Vietnamese capital on the night of Thursday, December 19. A violent fire broke out around 11 p.m. in a karaoke bar in western Hanoi, trapping many customers inside the establishment. Despite the rapid intervention of emergency services, the toll was very heavy: 11 people lost their lives and 2 others were injured in this tragedy.
A criminal act at the origin of the disaster
According to the first findings of the local police, this fire would not be accidental but would have been started intentionally. Investigators are in fact favoring the criminal trail. A suspect was also arrested and taken into custody. It appears to be a dissatisfied customer who argued with the establishment’s staff earlier in the evening.
According to a source close to the investigation, the man obtained gasoline before returning to set fire to the building, causing the numerous motorcycles parked nearby to catch fire. The flames then quickly spread inside the karaoke bar, causing the death of 11 people trapped by the fire. Two other victims, seriously injured, were able to be extracted from the rubble by firefighters.
Vietnam faced with numerous deadly fires
This tragedy is a dramatic reminder that fires are a recurring problem in this Southeast Asian country. Last October alone, another karaoke bar was ravaged by flames in Vietnam, causing 32 victims. Following this previous disaster, the authorities ordered the temporary closure of thousands of establishments of the same type across the country, for safety checks.
More than two thirds of the country’s approximately 15,000 karaoke bars have had to close their doors, according to state media, relying on police sources.
These measures will unfortunately not have been enough to avoid this new very heavy toll in Hanoi. The exact circumstances of the outbreak of the fire, the motivations of the suspect and possible breaches of safety standards will have to be established by the investigation which is only just beginning.
A bereaved city, Vietnam in shock
In the meantime, an entire country is in mourning this Friday morning, after this night of horror. The images of the blackened and largely destroyed building bear witness to the violence of the disaster. Piles of charred debris litter the ground nearby. Rescuers are still working on the spot, looking for possible other victims.
The authorities have promised to shed light on this tragedy and to draw all the consequences in terms of prevention and securing high-risk public places such as karaoke bars. But this morning, it is first of all a time of contemplation, for an entire city and a country, after this terrible arson which is once again putting Vietnam into mourning.
