Six people prosecuted for karaoke fire that killed 32 in 2022

The aftermath of the fire in 2022 in An Phú karaoke. — Photo vov.vn

BÌNH DƯƠNG — Bình Dương Provincial People’s Procuracy on Thursday indicted six people responsible for the deadly An Phú karaoke fire that killed 32 victims on September 6, 2022.

The six defendants being prosecuted are Lê Anh Xuân (owner of An Phú karaoke), Vũ Trường Sơn, Phạm Quốc Hùng, Phạm Thị Hồng (former officers of the Bình Dương Provincial Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department), and Nguyễn Thành Luân (construction company director).

They are being prosecuted on charge of fire prevention and firefighting regulations.

Nguyễn Văn Võ (former officer of the Thuận An City Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department) is being prosecuted for negligence.

The initial cause of the karaoke fire was determined to be an electrical short circuit. Following the incident, authorities launched an investigation and initiated criminal proceedings.

On September 16, 2022, the investigating agency initiated proceedings and detained the owner Xuân.

Subsequently, Sơn, Hùng, Võ, and Nguyễn Duy Linh (former head of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Team in Thuận An City) were prosecuted. However, the investigation against Linh was suspended following his death due to illness in June 2023.

By the end of 2023, the police's investigation into the An Phú karaoke fire was completed and the Procuracy transferred the case file to the Bình Dương Provincial People’s Court for trial. On March 1, 2024, the court returned the file to the Procuracy, requesting additional investigation into several related issues.

Following the supplemental investigation, the investigating agency prosecuted additional defendants Phạm Thị Hồng and Nguyễn Thành Luân. — VNS