6 on trial in Vietnam over deadly karaoke bar fire

The blaze broke out in Binh Duong Province close to business hub Ho Chi Minh City and led to the closure of thousands of karaoke bars nationwide for failing to meet fire regulations.

The bar owner, a contractor involved in its construction and four police officers are accused of violating fire prevention regulations.

The Binh Duong Provincial People’s Court is trying Le Anh Xuan, 43, owner of An Phu karaoke bar; Pham Quoc Hung, Pham Thi Hong, and Vu Truong Son, all former officers of the Binh Duong Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department; and Nguyen Thanh Luan, director of Thai Binh Co., Ltd., for “violating fire safety regulations.”

Nguyen Van Vo, a former captain and officer of the Fire Prevention Police Team of Thuan An City Police, is charged with “negligence causing serious consequences.” In connection with the case, Nguyen Duy Linh, a former lieutenant colonel and head of the Fire Prevention Police Team of Thuan An City Police, was also indicted on the same charge. However, his case was dropped due to his death.

Flames engulfed the second floor of the 30-room An Phu karaoke building in Binh Duong in September 2022, trapping customers and staff as dense smoke filled the staircase and blocked the emergency exit.

Many crowded onto a balcony to escape the flames, which spread quickly through the wooden interior, while others were forced to jump from the building.

A total of 32 people died in the inferno, 17 men and 15 women.

Fire trucks surround An Phu karaoke bar in Thuan An City of Binh Duong Province, Sept. 7, 2022. Photo by Read/Phuoc Tuan

The police officers on trial were involved in designing and approving the fire prevention system at the bar, according to investigators.

The blaze shocked Vietnam, which regularly experiences deadly fires — 56 people were killed in a Hanoi apartment disaster last year — and prompted a nationwide crackdown on karaoke bars that failed to comply with fire regulations.

More than two thirds of the country’s approximately 15,000 karaoke bars were forced to close, according to state media, citing police sources.

The verdict in the Binh Duong trial is expected on Friday, with the charge of violating fire regulations liable to a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison.