HANOI: Six people went on trial Thursday (Oct 24) over a huge fire that tore through a karaoke bar in Vietnam two years ago, killing 32 people, state media said.
The blaze broke out in a province close to business hub Ho Chi Minh City and led to the closure of thousands of karaoke bars nationwide for failing to meet fire regulations.
The bar owner, a contractor involved in its construction and four police officers are accused of violating fire prevention regulations, state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper said, citing the indictment.
They also face charges of "failure to take responsibility... leading to serious consequences," the report added.
Flames engulfed the second floor of the 30-room An Phu karaoke building in Binh Duong in September 2022, trapping customers and staff as dense smoke filled the staircase and blocked the emergency exit.
Many crowded onto a balcony to escape the flames, which spread quickly through the wooden interior, while others were forced to jump from the building.
A total of 32 people died in the inferno, 17 men and 15 women.
The police officers on trial were involved in designing and approving the fire prevention system at the bar, according to investigators.
The blaze shocked Vietnam, which regularly experiences deadly fires -- 56 people were killed in a Hanoi apartment disaster last year -- and prompted a nationwide crackdown on karaoke bars that failed to comply with fire regulations.
More than two thirds of the country's approximately 15,000 karaoke bars were forced to close, according to state media, citing police sources.
The verdict in the Binh Duong trial is expected on Friday, with the charge of violating fire regulations liable to a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison. - AFP
