8-8-2023 (HANOI) After a one-day trial, judges on Monday (Aug 7) delivered a verdict in the case of Pham Duy Hung, the owner of an ill-fated karaoke bar in Cau Giay, Hanoi, where a fire in 2022 tragically claimed the lives of three firefighters.
Pham Duy Hung, who owned ISIS Karaoke in Quan Hoa, Cau Giay, was handed a prison sentence of up to 10 years on Monday for “violations of firefighting and fire prevention rules.”
The Supreme People’s Procuracy (SPP), based on the case file and trial proceedings, stated that Hung was aware that his karaoke bar fell under the category requiring design approval and fire prevention and fighting inspection before being permitted to operate.
Despite not obtaining the necessary certificate of meeting business conditions, Hung continued to run the establishment.
The SPP deemed this a serious violation of fire prevention and fighting regulations, resulting in severe consequences that led to the sacrifice of three firefighters.
During the pandemic, the state and the Hanoi People’s Committee prohibited karaoke operations to ensure public safety. However, Hung continued to operate his business without proper permits and without adhering to fire prevention and fighting protocols.
The SPP highlighted a recent surge in complex fire and explosion incidents in apartment buildings and karaoke lounges, resulting in loss of life, significant damage, and a negative impact on social order. Consequently, the SPP believes that the defendant should be dealt with severely as a deterrent and a lesson.
According to the indictment, on March 19, 2018, Pham Duy Hung purchased the premises for ISIS Karaoke located at house No. 231, Quan Hoa Street, Quan Hoa Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi. The building, consisting of six floors and an attic, was acquired from Nguyen Duy Trung for the purpose of operating the karaoke business.
Hung utilized nine rooms from the second to the sixth floor of the building as karaoke rooms.
By February 2022, Hung enlisted someone to renovate and expand two additional rooms on the seventh floor of the building. The renovation work involved the use of a steel frame, metal fencing, metal roofing, gypsum ceilings, soundproofing layers, and a complete electrical and air conditioning system, along with decorative elements, to enhance the karaoke business. However, Hung failed to notify the local authorities of these modifications.
The renovation and expansion work was completed by the end of April 2022.
Starting from May 1, 2022, Hung began using Room 702 as a karaoke singing room, while temporarily utilizing Room 701 as a storage area.
Despite being aware that the karaoke lounge required design approval and fire safety inspection as a condition for operation, Hung continued the karaoke business activities while in the process of submitting the necessary documents to obtain the certificate for meeting security and order conditions and seeking approval for fire safety.
The usual singing sessions at the karaoke bar lasted from 11 am on the previous day until 2 am the following day. On August 1, 2022, around 1 pm, a fire broke out on the seventh floor, rapidly spreading throughout the entire karaoke lounge.
During the firefighting and rescue operation at the ISIS karaoke lounge, officers Dang Anh Quan, along with Do Duc Viet and Nguyen Dinh Phuc (officers of the Firefighting and Rescue Team, Cau Giay District Police), tragically lost their lives at the scene.
According to the forensic conclusion from the Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Public Security, the fire originated from Room 2 on the seventh floor of the karaoke lounge.
The cause of the fire was determined to be a short circuit in the electrical wiring connected to the air conditioning unit. The short circuit ignited the insulation, leading to the rapid spread of the fire and resulting in the catastrophic incident.
