Death toll from Vietnam karaoke bar fire rises

The fire – the initial cause of which is reported as an electrical short circuit – kills 23 people and injures 11 others.

Authorities had previously put the death toll at 12.
AP

Authorities had previously put the death toll at 12.

At least 23 people have died and 11 others injured in a fire at a karaoke bar in Vietnam's southern Thuan An city, 

"We are still searching for more victims but the death toll so far is 23, and 11 people injured," Mai Hung Dung, a top official with the ruling Communist Party in Binh Duong, said on Wednesday. 

Authorities had previously put the death toll at 12.

The initial cause of the fire was said to be an electrical short circuit, state media reported, citing a report by Binh Duong authorities.

The blaze engulfed the second and third floors of the building on Tuesday night, trapping customers and staff members as dense smoke filled the staircase and blocked the emergency exit, state media reported.

Many crowded onto a balcony to escape the flames, which grew quickly as they caught the wooden interior, and others were forced to jump from the building, the reports added.

READ MORE: Vietnam investigates deadly karaoke bar fire

People 'jumped down'

Witness Nguyen Sang, who lives near the karaoke bar, told the VnExpress news site that when fire trucks arrived at the scene, a receptionist said there were 40 people stuck inside.

"Many people ran outside through the main entrance, but many others could not stand the heat and they jumped down, breaking their hands and legs," Sang said.

Rescue workers searched through the night for anyone trapped in the 30-room bar, according to state media.

Local police said the karaoke facility's fire prevention regulations had been checked prior to the blaze, it added.

The fire was Vietnam's deadliest since 2018, when 13 people died in a blaze in an apartment complex in Ho Chi Minh City.

In 2016, a blaze in a karaoke bar in the capital Hanoi left 13 people dead, prompting a country-wide assessment of fire prevention measures at bars and clubs.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday ordered a further inspection of high-risk venues, especially karaoke bars.

Last month, three firefighters died after trying to extinguish a fire at another karaoke bar in Hanoi.

READ MORE: Dozens killed in Cairo church fire

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