A fire at a karaoke bar killed 13 people and injured two police officers in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, an official said Wednesday (Nov 2).

HANOI: Vietnam has opened an investigation into a blaze which killed 13 at a karaoke bar and took several hours to put out, as officials said on Wednesday (Nov 2) some victims likely suffocated in windowless rooms.

Most of the dead were government workers enjoying a staff party when the fire broke out Tuesday afternoon in the multi-storey building in Hanoi's commercial Cau Giay district and quickly tore through neighbouring buildings.

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Inspectors picked through rubble in the charred building Wednesday, where broken beer bottles were scattered and several motorbikes burnt to a crisp.

"Hundreds of firemen and police officers were mobilised to extinguish the fire," The Chung, a ward official told AFP, adding that two police officers were being treated for injuries sustained while trying to put out the blaze.

State-run media quoted an official as saying 11 of the victims were government employees from a political training academy.

"They went out partying after finishing a test during a political training course," Hanoi's party chief Hoang Trung Hai said, according to Tuoi Tre newspaper.

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He added trapped patrons likely suffocated inside the windowless karaoke rooms that spanned several floors.

All trainees from the academy have been ordered to seek approval from the director before joining social gatherings during or after work hours, according to an official document published in local media.

Reports quoted an official as saying the fire was likely sparked by welders working on a signpost at the bar - which was unlicensed.

The national fire department has ordered a country-wide assessment of fire prevention measures at all karaoke bars, clubs and restaurants, and all karaoke venues in Cau Giay have been closed for inspection, according to state media.

'I WAS TERRIFIED'



Locals described scenes of chaos on Tuesday as firefighters battled to put out the blaze. "I was carrying my stuff when I saw the fire suddenly started," said Do Thi Kha, 77, a food vendor in the area.

"The fire spread over to two or three neighbouring buildings before I saw fire trucks come in. It was terrible. I was terrified. They did not have enough water to extinguish the fire," she told AFP.

Another witness said the fire burned for more than five hours and worsened when it ignited fuel tanks in cars parked nearby.

"Trucks had to keep coming back and forth with water as there was not enough. That was why it took so long to extinguish," said 69-year-old Nguyen Dinh Sau.

Police opened an investigation after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said authorities should "seriously punish" anyone responsible for the disaster.

Karaoke bars are popular hangouts in communist Vietnam, among government officials and young people alike, and Tuesday's fire was not the first of its kind in the capital.

In May 2014 five people burned to death at a karaoke bar in Hanoi after an electrical fault triggered a massive blaze.

Another karaoke venue in the city went up in flames in September this year, but no casualties were reported.

Blazes are common at houses, bars and restaurants in Vietnam, where fire prevention and firefighting is limited. </s> HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A fire at a large karaoke parlor in Vietnam’s capital killed 13 people on Tuesday, state media said.

The fire broke out at the eight-story karaoke parlor in Hanoi and quickly spread to several nearby buildings housing restaurants and other karaoke parlors, they said. It took firefighters about five hours to put out the blaze.

Online newspaper VnExpress quoted Maj. Gen. Doan Viet Manh of the fire department as saying that 13 bodies were recovered from the scene.

State-controlled media quoted a guard at the karaoke parlor as saying the fire started at its sign board, and staff tried to put it out but failed.

Government officials were not available for comment late Tuesday.

In a statement on a government website, Premier Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked local authorities to search for victims and ordered police to carry out a prompt investigation and punish anyone who violated the law. </s> A fire that broke out at a karaoke lounge in Vietnam's capital killed at least 13 people, the government said on Wednesday, in a rare accident of its kind for which the prime minister demanded an investigation and punishment for safety violations.

The fire started around lunchtime on Tuesday in a crowded residential area on the outskirts of Hanoi and flames quickly spread to engulf three neighboring houses as clouds of black smoke filled the air, a Reuters witness said.

It took more than two hours for fire teams to put out the flames to allow rescuers to start searching for victims, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc "instructed Hanoi police to soon investigate and find the cause as well as to deal strictly with any violations," the government said in an earlier statement.

Phuc also asked Hanoi city government to close down karaoke parlors and restaurants which fail to observe fire preventive measures.

Police in charge of fire fighting ordered an urgent inspection on fire preventive measures in public places in major cities nationwide, focusing on karaoke parlors, discotheques, bars and restaurants, the government said.

Karaoke remains popular in Vietnam and is often picked as entertainment for large groups of people. However, fire drills at such places are rarely conducted and exits not always provided. </s> A fire tore through a karaoke lounge in southern China on Tuesday, killing 18 people and injuring another five in what authorities suspect was an arson attack.

The blaze took place after midnight in a three-storey building in Qingyuan City, Guangdong province, and was put out shortly before 1:00 am local time, according to the police.

A preliminary investigation found that the fire was caused by arson, the Qingyuan public security department said on its Weibo social media account.

“The public security authorities are stepping up their investigation,” the authorities in Qingyuan said.

The suspect got into an argument, then used a motorcycle to block the building’s door and lit the fire, state broadcaster CCTV said, adding that the suspect was on the lam.

The police statement did not describe the location of the fire but state media said it occurred in a small KTV house, or karaoke lounge.

A video from the scene posted by state-run daily Global Times on Twitter shows flames leaping from a building on a tree-lined street at night, as a crowd looked on and at least one rescue vehicle flashed its lights.

Singing karaoke is a popular activity in China, with even shopping centres featuring booths where people can sit and sing their favourite songs.

Larger KTV lounges proliferate as well, often spanning across multiple floors in a building, with narrow corridors linking dozens of individual rooms together.

The lounge where the fire occurred was smaller, with only one corridor for entry and exit, state TV said.

Merrymakers often go for a buffet dinner and sing and drink with a small group of friends in the private rooms late into the night.

Deadly fires are common in China, where safety regulations are widely flouted and enforcement is often lax.

Five of the injured are receiving treatment in a hospital, state TV said.

A blaze that killed 38 people at a nursing home in 2015 sparked soul-searching about safety standards in China. Courts jailed 21 people, including firefighters and government staff, over the fire last year.

The legal representative of the Kangleyuan Nursing Home was sentenced to nine years in prison for constructing an illegal extension to the property, while the contractor was given a six-year sentence for using flammable materials to build an extension.

In the days following the accident, China’s top safety watchdog said the facility had poorly-designed fire exits, while safety checks, fire and electricity management, and the emergency response system were all found lacking.

The first blaze, which killed 19 people in November, prompted authorities to begin tearing down unsafe buildings in the capital, driving hundreds of thousands of down on their luck residents out in the middle of winter. </s> Beijing: A Major fire broke out in a three storied building at karaoke lounge in southern China today, killing 18 people and injuring another five in a suspected arson case, police said.

The blaze took place after midnight in a three-storey building in Qingyuan City, Guangdong province, and was put out shortly before 1:00 am local time, according to the police.

A preliminary investigation found that the fire was caused by arson”The public security authorities are stepping up their investigation”.

Fire incidents are very common in China as experts reportedly say that the country has poorly designed fire exits. It also lacks proper fire, electricity management and an emergency response system. </s> A fire tore through a karaoke lounge in southern China on Tuesday, killing 18 people and injuring another five, as authorities arrested an arson suspect who had reportedly blocked the entrance with a motorcycle.

The fire started after midnight in a three-storey building in Yingde, a town within Qingyuan City in Guangdong province, and was put out shortly before 1:00 am local time, according to the police.

A preliminary investigation found that it was caused by arson, the Qingyuan public security department said on its Weibo social media account.

The suspect got into an argument, then used a motorcycle to block the building's door and lit the fire, state broadcaster CCTV said, adding that he was on the lam.

Police said the suspect was captured in a village district, shortly after authorities offered a 200,000 yuan ($32,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of a man identified as a 32-year-old with burn marks on his hips.

The police statement did not describe the location of the fire but state media said it occurred in a small KTV house, or karaoke lounge.

Unverified videos from the scene posted by local media show flames leaping from the building on a tree-lined street at night, with fire trucks and a crowd of onlookers on the road.

The five injured people are receiving treatment in a hospital, state TV said.

Karaoke is a popular activity in China, with even shopping centres featuring booths where people can sit and sing their favourite songs.

Larger KTV lounges proliferate as well, often spanning across multiple floors in a building, with narrow corridors linking dozens of individual rooms together.

The lounge where the fire occurred was smaller, with only one corridor for entry and exit, state TV said.

Merrymakers often go for a buffet dinner and sing and drink with a small group of friends in the private rooms late into the night.

Deadly fires are common in China, where safety regulations are widely flouted and enforcement is often lax.

A blaze that killed 38 people at a nursing home in 2015 sparked soul-searching about safety standards in China. Courts jailed 21 people, including firefighters and government staff, over the fire last year.

The legal representative of the Kangleyuan Nursing Home was sentenced to nine years in prison for constructing an illegal extension to the property, while the contractor was given a six-year sentence for using flammable materials to build an extension.

In the days following the accident, China's top safety watchdog said the facility had poorly-designed fire exits, while safety checks, fire and electricity management, and the emergency response system were all found lacking.

More than two dozen people were killed in two fires in Beijing's migrant neighbourhoods late last year.

The first blaze, which killed 19 people in November, prompted authorities to begin tearing down unsafe buildings in the capital, driving hundreds of thousands of down on their luck residents out in the middle of winter. </s> A fire tore through a karaoke lounge in southern China today, killing 18 people and injuring another five in a suspected arson case, police and state media said. The blaze took place after midnight in a three-storey building in Qingyuan City, Guangdong province, and was put out shortly before 1:00 am local time, according to the police. A preliminary investigation found that the fire was caused by arson, the Qingyuan public security department said on its Weibo social media account. “The public security authorities are stepping up their investigation,” it said. The police statement did not describe the location of the fire but the official Xinhua news agency said it occurred in a KTV house, or karaoke lounge. Deadly fires are common in China, where safety regulations are widely flouted and enforcement is often lax. </s> A fire tore through a karaoke lounge in southern China on Tuesday, killing 18 people and injuring another five, as authorities arrested an arson suspect who had reportedly blocked the entrance with a motorcycle.

The fire started after midnight in a three-storey building in Yingde, a town within Qingyuan City in Guangdong province, and was put out shortly before 1:00 am local time, according to the police.

A preliminary investigation found that it was caused by arson, the Qingyuan public security department said on its Weibo social media account.

The suspect got into an argument, then used a motorcycle to block the building's door and lit the fire, state broadcaster CCTV said, adding that he was on the lam.

Police said the suspect was captured in a village district, shortly after authorities offered a 200,000 yuan ($32,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of a man identified as a 32-year-old with burn marks on his hips.

The police statement did not describe the location of the fire, but state media said it occurred in a small KTV house, or karaoke lounge.

Unverified videos from the scene posted by local media show flames leaping from the building on a tree-lined street at night, with fire trucks and a crowd of onlookers on the road.

The five injured people are receiving treatment in a hospital, state TV said.

Karaoke is a popular activity in China, with even shopping centres featuring booths where people can sit and sing their favourite songs.

Deadly fires are common in China, where safety regulations are widely flouted and enforcement is often lax. </s> A fire tore through a karaoke lounge in southern China on Tuesday, killing 18 people and injuring another five, as authorities arrested an arson suspect who had reportedly blocked the entrance with a motorcycle.

The fire started after midnight in a three-storey building in Yingde, a town within Qingyuan City in Guangdong province, and was put out shortly before 1:00 am local time, according to the police.

A preliminary investigation found that it was caused by arson, the Qingyuan public security department said on its Weibo social media account.

The suspect got into an argument, then used a motorcycle to block the building's door and lit the fire, state broadcaster CCTV said, adding that he was on the lam.

Police said the suspect was captured in a village district, shortly after authorities offered a 200,000 yuan ($32,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of a man identified as a 32-year-old with burn marks on his hips.

The police statement did not describe the location of the fire but state media said it occurred in a small KTV house, or karaoke lounge.

Unverified videos from the scene posted by local media show flames leaping from the building on a tree-lined street at night, with fire trucks and a crowd of onlookers on the road.

The five injured people are receiving treatment in a hospital, state TV said.

Karaoke is a popular activity in China, with even shopping centres featuring booths where people can sit and sing their favourite songs.

Larger KTV lounges proliferate as well, often spanning across multiple floors in a building, with narrow corridors linking dozens of individual rooms together.

The lounge where the fire occurred was smaller, with only one corridor for entry and exit, state TV said.

Merrymakers often go for a buffet dinner and sing and drink with a small group of friends in the private rooms late into the night.

Deadly fires are common in China, where safety regulations are widely flouted and enforcement is often lax.
A fire at a karaoke bar in Hanoi's Cầu Giấy district kills 13 people.