Hanoi karaoke bar fire kills 11, arson suspected

HANOI

A fire ripped through a karaoke bar in the Vietnamese capital, killing 11 people and injuring two others in a case of suspected arson, police said on Dec. 19.

Photos from the scene showed the blackened multi-story building in western Hanoi mostly destroyed by flames, and piles of twisted metal strewn nearby.

Police said they received reports of a fire at 11 p.m. on Dec. 18 "with many people trapped inside."

Rescue workers rushed to the scene and managed to bring out seven people alive, two of whom were rushed to hospital. Eleven others were found dead, they said.

"The police suspect that the cafe was [deliberately] burned down and ... have arrested the perpetrator," Hanoi police said in a statement.

Witnesses said the fire was so large that no one dared to attempt to rescue those trapped inside. The building's balconies were enclosed with metal bars, likely making escape difficult.

The fire reportedly began on the first floor, before quickly spreading through the building. State media said CCTV footage from a nearby house showed a man carrying a bucket entering the premises shortly before the fire broke out.

A suspect was arrested around midnight, police said.

The man had gone to the karaoke bar to drink beer before arguing with staff, they added. He then allegedly bought petrol and poured it close to an area with many motorbikes, which burst into flames.