Vietnam karaoke bar fire death toll rises to 32
- The blaze engulfed the second and third floors of the building in Thuan An on Tuesday night, trapping customers and members of staff
- Many crowded onto a balcony to escape the flames and others were forced to jump from the building, eyewitnesses said
A fire ripped through a three-story karaoke parlour in southern Vietnam, killing at least 32 people and injuring dozens more, the authorities said late on Wednesday.
The death toll jumped from 12 in the morning to 32 by the evening – including 17 men and 15 women – after another 20 victims were found in the charred building in Thuan An Town over the course of the day, Binh Duong provincial police said.
“The fire started on the second floor of the bar and quickly spread to the third floor, which was full of flammable material,” the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.
“Because the rooms are closed and too hot, gaining access is still difficult,” said Mai Hung Dung, deputy chairman of Binh Duong province. “The walls have to be broken through. We can’t confirm when [the rescue work] will end.”
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Staff at the karaoke parlour tried to extinguish the flames when they erupted on Tuesday evening, but were unable to. The fire spread quickly through the building, covering over 400 square metres (4,300 square feet) on the second and third floors and trapping both staff members and customers inside.
Witnesses said the fire swiftly spread across foam soundproofing and wood panelling, both of which burned brightly and blocked exit routes. Many people went to the balcony and jumped about 8 metres (26 feet) to the ground from the second floor.