Karaoke fire: 11 people died: Outrage over arsonist's confession, neighbors tell the story

The fire at a karaoke bar in Hanoi that killed 11 people is causing shock and grief among netizens nationwide. According to the camera, the fire was started by an arsonist, whose testimony caused outrage.

On the evening of December 18, a large fire broke out at 260 Pham Van Dong, Bac Tu Liem District, where a business signboard "Sing for each other" was hung. Upon receiving the news, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Force dispatched dozens of fire trucks and ambulances to the scene for rescue.

Realizing the seriousness of the incident, Lieutenant General Nguyen Hai Trung - Director of the City Police Department, along with comrades in the Board of Directors and the City Police Department's professional departments, were directly present at the scene to direct the functional forces to deploy rescue and firefighting measures and investigate and clarify the cause of the fire. Secretary of the City Party Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai arrived at the scene to direct the local Party Committee, authorities and relevant departments and branches to quickly overcome the consequences of the fire.

By 11:40 p.m. the same day, the fire was under control. Authorities guided, assisted, and brought 7 people out (of which 5 were in stable condition, 2 were taken to the hospital for emergency care) and discovered that 11 people had passed away.

Through initial verification, the police force suspected that the cafe was burned down and urgently searched for and arrested the perpetrator. At around 0:00 on December 19, 2024, the City Police arrested the suspect CVH. At the police station, H initially confessed: H went to the cafe to drink beer and then had a conflict with the cafe staff, so he bought gasoline and poured it on the first floor of the cafe (where there were many motorbikes) and then set it on fire; when he saw the fire, H left.

Mr. Tuan, a resident near the scene of the fire, said that at around 11:20 a.m., a man was sleeping when he heard shouts of fire and ran out to see. When he ran out, he saw that the fire had already broken out on the third floor and the authorities were already there. At that time, the repair shop next door had not yet spread. There were 4-5 people on the fourth floor who were rescued by the authorities. When they were brought down, they were still moving. After that, the fire broke out and spread to the shop next door. "The fire was very big. Later, the authorities covered them with blankets and carried many people out of the scene on stretchers, but they were all gone," Mr. Tuan shared.

Sharing more with the media, Mr. Trung said that at around 11:00 p.m., while he was at home, he received a call from his wife saying there was a fire near their house. "When my wife told me there was a fire, I panicked and drove home quickly because my house was right behind where the fire broke out. When I got there, the fire had already reached the 4th floor. The authorities had to spray water to prevent the fire from spreading."

According to Mr. Trung, at least 9 people were taken out of the fire on stretchers. "I just talked to the owner of the restaurant, they said it was due to a conflict at the restaurant. One side then left and then came back to throw gasoline, causing the fire," Mr. Trung added.

Also living nearby, when he heard the fire alarm, Mr. T. ran out and discovered the fire was raging. "When I arrived, the fire truck had just arrived. First, they rescued some people trapped on the 4th floor, then sprayed water to put out the fire," Mr. T. said.

Currently, the Director of the City Police continues to direct the City Police Investigation Agency to quickly investigate and clarify the cause, motive, and purpose of the crime of the subject to strictly handle according to regulations and verify and clarify the identities of the victims. At the same time, direct relevant units, the Bac Tu Liem District Police to coordinate with the City's Departments, branches and sectors to visit, encourage and support the victims' families and promptly overcome the consequences of the fire.