Karaoke bar fire kills 11 people: Each family receives 127 million, Prime Minister offers condolences

On the afternoon of December 20, at the online conference of the fourth quarter of 2024 of the Standing Committee of the Hanoi Party Committee - People's Council - People's Committee with districts, towns, and cities, the leader of Bac Tu Liem district said that after the fire at the karaoke bar at 258 Pham Van Dong Street, Co Nhue 2 Ward, the district organized visits, worked with the family to arrange the funeral, and supported the victims.

11 deceased were taken to Hospital 198. By the end of December 19, all had been identified and handed over to their families for funeral arrangements. Among them were 7 men, 4 women, the oldest was 57, the youngest was 24, residing in Nam Dinh, Bac Ninh, Nghe An, and Hanoi.

Five out of seven people rescued from the fire were hospitalized. Four of them were admitted to E Hospital, while one soldier with minor injuries was admitted to 198 Hospital for first aid and discharged that same night. Due to their serious condition, the four injured were transferred to the Intensive Care Center and the Poison Control Center at Bach Mai.

Associate Professor Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital, said the victims' prognosis is serious, with unpredictable developments. All four people suffered damage to their respiratory tracts from top to bottom, including their throat, larynx, and lungs; poisoning from inhaling coal dust, various toxic gases, and heat generated from the fire.

The city and Bac Tu Liem district supported each person who lost their lives in the fire at the karaoke bar on Pham Van Dong with 127 million VND, and the injured person with 60 million VND.

Earlier on the afternoon of December 19, the Standing Committee of the Hanoi Party Committee heard a report and gave instructions on the fire. Director of the city's police Nguyen Hai Trung said that the suspect who set fire to the karaoke bar was Cao Van H, 51 years old, who tested negative for banned substances but had a very high blood alcohol concentration of 191.86 mg/100 ml. The subject has two previous convictions for "Robbery" and "Theft".

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai has requested relevant units to mobilize the best means and medical teams to treat the patient and support the victim’s family. The city’s judicial agencies will soon conclude the investigation, complete the case file, and bring the case to trial.

In addition, the Secretary of Hanoi requested that from the city down to the grassroots level, measures to prevent and fight fires must be further promoted; training and coaching on escape skills for people, especially business owners; and requiring business owners to take measures to ensure safety for customers.

On the morning of December 19, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long and Chairman of Hanoi Tran Sy Thanh visited the scene of the fire at the karaoke bar at 258 Pham Van Dong Street, Co Nhue 2 Ward, Bac Tu Liem District. Mr. Long requested units to focus on overcoming the consequences, promptly investigate the case, and strictly handle violators as a deterrent.

Afterwards, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long went to E Hospital, more than one kilometer from the scene, to visit the victims who were being treated, and to share the loss and pain with the victims' relatives and families.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested that all priority be given to treating the injured and providing timely material and spiritual support to the victims' families to help them soon stabilize their lives.

On the same morning, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent a telegram of condolences to the relatives and families of the victims. Along with the request to strictly handle violators, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Public Security to strengthen propaganda and crime prevention, especially crimes arising from conflicts.

The Ministry of Public Security and localities strictly implement regulations on fire prevention and fighting for multi-storey houses, multi-apartment houses, and individual houses combined with production and business. Units should rectify compliance with fire prevention and fighting safety in crowded places during holidays and Tet.

At 11:03 p.m. on December 18, the 114 switchboard received a report of a fire at the restaurant, with many people trapped. Fire police from the city police and the districts of Bac Tu Liem, Nam Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Thanh Xuan, and Tay Ho arrived at the scene after about 10 minutes. At 11:40 p.m., the fire was under control. 7 people escaped, 11 people did not survive.