Vietnam karaoke bar fire death toll rises to 32

A fire ripped through a three-story karaoke parlour in southern Vietnam, killing at least 32 people and injuring dozens more, the authorities said late on Wednesday.

The death toll jumped from 12 in the morning to 32 by the evening – including 17 men and 15 women – after another 20 victims were found in the charred building in Thuan An Town over the course of the day, Binh Duong provincial police said.

“The fire started on the second floor of the bar and quickly spread to the third floor, which was full of flammable material,” the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

“Because the rooms are closed and too hot, gaining access is still difficult,” said Mai Hung Dung, deputy chairman of Binh Duong province. “The walls have to be broken through. We can’t confirm when [the rescue work] will end.”

Staff at the karaoke parlour tried to extinguish the flames when they erupted on Tuesday evening, but were unable to. The fire spread quickly through the building, covering over 400 square metres (4,300 square feet) on the second and third floors and trapping both staff members and customers inside.

Witnesses said the fire swiftly spread across foam soundproofing and wood panelling, both of which burned brightly and blocked exit routes. Many people went to the balcony and jumped about 8 metres (26 feet) to the ground from the second floor.

“When the fire broke out, I was so panicked and ran for safety and can’t remember how it happened,” a witness, who identified herself only as Quynh, was quoted as saying in the official Vietnam News Agency.

Several victims were found dead in a restroom in the three-storey building, it said.

Many crowded onto a balcony to escape the flames, which grew quickly as they caught the wooden interior, and others were forced to jump from the building, the reports added.

Witness Nguyen Sang, who lives near the karaoke bar, told the VnExpress news site that when fire trucks arrived at the scene, a receptionist said there were 40 people stuck inside.

“Many people ran outside through the main entrance, but many others could not stand the heat and they jumped down, breaking their hands and legs,” Sang said.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday ordered the Ministry of Public Security and provincial authorities to investigate the cause of the fire.

Chinh also ordered cities and provinces across the country to ensure safety standards at facilities prone to fire, including at karaoke bars.

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Karaoke is popular in Vietnam, but lax safety standards at venues have raised concerns. Three firefighters were killed while fighting a blaze at another karaoke bar in Hanoi last month

The fire was Vietnam’s deadliest since 2018, when 13 people died in a blaze in an apartment complex in Ho Chi Minh City.

In 2016, a blaze in a karaoke bar in the capital Hanoi left 13 people dead, prompting a countrywide assessment of fire prevention measures at bars and clubs.