Seven prosecuted in apartment fire which killed 56

Rescue forces carry the victims out of the mini apartment fire on Khương Hạ Street, Khương Đình Ward, Thanh Xuân District in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội People's Procuracy has completed indictment to prosecute seven defendants in the mini apartment fire that killed 56 people in Thanh Xuân District in Hà Nội on September 12 last year.

That indictment names Nghiêm Quang Minh, 45, who lives in Yên Hòa Ward, Cầu Giấy District in Hà Nội and owns the nine-storey mini apartment building on Khương Hạ Street, Khương Đình Ward.

Minh was prosecuted for "violating regulations on fire prevention and fighting", according to points a and c, Clause 3, Article 313 of the Penal Code.

Five former officials of Khương Đình Ward and former head of the Thanh Xuân District Construction Inspection Team were prosecuted for "lack of responsibility causing serious consequences", according to points a and c, Clause 3, Article 360 ​​of the Penal Code.

The six people include Phạm Tần Anh, former deputy chairman of the ward People's Committee from 2018 to the time of prosecution; Chu Xuân Sơn, former deputy chairman of the ward People's Committee from 2015 to 2020, at the time of prosecution, he was chairman of the Thanh Xuân Nam Ward People's Committee; Nguyễn Thị Kim Trang, former cadastral and construction officer of the ward from 2010 to 2018, at the time of prosecution, she was cadastral and construction officer of Thanh Xuân Bắc Ward; Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, former deputy head of Khương Đình Ward Police; Nguyễn Đình Quân, former head of the ward Construction Inspection Team from 2014 to 2016, at the time of prosecution, he was head of the Nhân Chính Ward Construction Inspection Team; and Trần Trọng Khang, former head of the Thanh Xuân District Construction Inspection Team from 2013 to 2016.

Defendant Minh is the owner of a 240-square-metre land plot at No 37, Alley 29/70, Khương Hạ Street.

On March 11, 2015, Minh was granted a construction permit for a family house on the land by the Thanh Xuân District People's Committee, with a total construction area of ​​1,165.9sq.m.

Under the construction permit, the total height of the building was set at 20.2m, including six floors with a total of 33 rooms.

From May 14, 2015 to the end of December 2015, Minh constructed and arbitrarily changed the house’s design. He built an additional three floors bringing the total number of floors to nine.

The house had 45 rooms, so 12 over those in the permit and he did not prepare design documents, review and manage fire prevention and fighting according to regulations.

The indictment stated that from October 2015 to April 2016, Minh sold 45 apartments and by the end of 2016, all of them were occupied.

Before the fire, 147 residents lived in the 45 apartments.

After selling all of the apartments, Minh did not reside in the building and determined that the management and usage rights belonged to the residents.

Minh is not responsible for the residents' living and operation of the building. All motorbikes, electric motorbikes and electric bicycles of the residents were parked on the first floor of the building, with an average of 70-80 motorbikes and electric bicycles of different kinds.

From August 31, 2018 to June 12, 2020, the Thanh Xuân District Police discovered many violations related fire prevention and fighting at the house.

They determined that those violations if not dealt with could lead to fire and explosions, causing particularly serious consequences.

The fire broke out at around 11.20pm on September 12, due to a short circuit in the electrical wiring in the battery area located next to the south wall of the first floor of the building.

The fire then spread to the electric cables, the electric boxes mounted on the south wall of the first floor and to the general area. Although the blaze was discovered, the fire extinguisher on the first floor could not put out the fire, leading a larger fire taking hold.

The Hà Nội Police Command assigned firefighting forces to extinguish the fire and provide rescue services and by around 0.15am on September 13, the fire was essentially extinguished. The fire killed 56 people, injured 44 others and caused property damage of more than VNĐ3.2 billion (US$126,000).

Minh was detained by the investigation agency that same day. — VNS