Coffee shop fire kills 11 people: Conflict over 50k, revealing surprising information

At the police station, the suspect Cao Van Hung confessed to all his crimes. Just because of a conflict related to 50,000 VND, he had the idea of buying gasoline to burn down the shop, causing the murder.

On December 19, Hanoi police prosecuted Cao Van Hung (51 years old, residing in Dai Mach commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi) to investigate the crime of murder. Late on December 18, Hung brought gasoline to set fire to a coffee shop on Pham Van Dong street, killing 11 people.

At the police station, Hung said that when he went to the coffee shop, he ordered a glass of beer and a pack of cigarettes. Then, he stood up and asked the owner how much money he needed to pay. At that time, a female employee said it was 50,000 VND. Hung searched his pocket but could not find his wallet. The suspect remembered that he had left it "over there" so he told the employee, "Wait a minute, I'll go get the money."

At this time, the restaurant staff shouted "this guy is not paying". Immediately, a man appeared and "physically impacted" Hung, causing him to fall onto the street. This man then continued to punch and kick Hung. 10 minutes later, the defendant woke up, thinking "I have to buy gasoline to burn it because he beat me so badly".

Thinking is doing, Hung immediately called a taxi to buy a bucket and went to the gas station to buy 150,000 VND worth of gas, then returned and threw it at the glass door of the coffee shop, causing the gas to flow inside the shop and onto his legs. "I used a lighter to light the fire, causing it to flare up and burn my pants. I realized that my actions were only out of pain and thoughtlessness, I couldn't control myself, and I felt regretful," Hung confessed.

Authorities determined that at the time of the incident, there were 17 people in the restaurant. Of these, 11 people passed away (7 men, 4 women) and 4 people were injured. The preliminary cause of death was smoke inhalation and fire. As for property damage, authorities determined that 7 motorbikes and many tables and chairs were burned. Initial estimates of the damage were about 200 million VND.

Cao Van Hung's urine test for banned substances was negative, but his blood alcohol concentration was up to 191.86 mg/100 - a very high concentration, this information was published in Tuoi Tre newspaper.

Previously, according to information from Hanoi City Police, at 11:03 p.m. on December 18, Call Center 114 of Hanoi City Police Command Information Center received a report of a fire at a coffee shop at 258 Pham Van Dong, Co Nhue 2 Ward, Bac Tu Liem District. Immediately, the police arrived at the scene to coordinate with the authorities and local people to organize fire fighting, rescue and relief.

By 11:40 p.m. the same day, the fire was under control. Authorities guided and assisted 5 people to escape (4 injured people were being treated at the hospital) and discovered 11 people with no signs of life. At around 0:00 a.m. on December 19, the police arrested the person who set fire to the restaurant, Cao Van Hung.

On the same afternoon, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee - Bui Thi Minh Hoai chaired a meeting of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee to listen to the report and direct the handling of the fire that occurred at the coffee shop at 258 Pham Van Dong Street.

After listening to reports from departments and branches, opinions exchanged, discussed, and concluding the meeting, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai affirmed that the arson incident at 258 Pham Van Dong Street was "an especially serious murder case, causing outrage in public opinion". The incident received special attention from the Central leadership, who gave leadership opinions and directed the handling of the incident.

Regarding the upcoming tasks, the Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee requested the Party Committee of the City People's Committee to direct and mobilize the best doctors and medical staff to focus on caring for and treating the victims; at the same time, continue to support the families of the deceased, both helping to stabilize their psychology and sharing and helping with the funeral.

The Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee requested the city's judicial agencies to promptly conclude the investigation, complete the case file, and bring the case to trial as soon as possible, condemning the brutal crimes that caused this particularly serious case; the investigation process must carefully consider issues to prevent related consequences.

Hanoi coffee shop arson case: 11 people identified, Secretary requests early trial Phượng Vũ22:29:16 19/12/2024Regarding the arson at 258 Pham Van Dong Street, the Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee affirmed that this was an especially serious murder case, causing outrage in public opinion.