Karaoke bar inferno kills 12: Eleven others injured as fire tears through building in Vietnam, forcing some to leap off balconies to escape, breaking their legs

• Fire occurred last night in a crowded residential neighbourhood in Thuan
• Engulfed second and third floors of the building trapping customers and staff 
• Many crowded onto a balcony to escape the flames while others jumped 
• Comes a month after firefighters died trying to extinguish a fire at separate bar 

An inferno at a karaoke bar in Vietnam killed 12 and left 11 others injured as the fire tore through the building, forcing some to leap off balconies to escape, breaking their legs.

The fire occurred last night, in a crowded residential neighbourhood in Thuan. 

It engulfed the second and third floors of the building, trapping customers and staff members as smoke blocked the emergency exit and filled the staircase. 

According to state media, many crowded onto a balcony to escape the flames, which quickly grew as they caught the wooden interior.

Others were forced to jump from the building, which led to them breaking their hands and legs. 

Witness Nguyen Sang, who lives near the karaoke bar, told the VnExpress news site that when fire trucks arrived at the scene, a receptionist said there were 40 people stuck inside.

Huge plumes of smoke were seen billowing out of the bar as firefighters used cranes to try and extinguish the fire. 

According to state media, rescue workers searched through the night for anyone trapped in the 30-room bar.

 The fire occurred last night, in a crowded residential neighbourhood in Thuan. It engulfed the second and third floors of the building, trapping customers and staff members as smoke blocked the emergency exit and filled the staircase. Pictured: The scene of the blaze 

Sang said: ‘Many people ran outside through the main entrance, but many others could not stand the heat and they jumped down, breaking their hands and legs.’

 Nguyen Thanh Tam, a top official with the ruling communist party in Thuan An said: ‘Rescue teams are still looking for victims at the scene. The cause of the fire has not been determined and is being investigated.’

Police said that prior to the fire, the karaoke bar’s fire prevention regulations had been checked. 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh today ordered a further inspection of high-risk venues, especially karaoke bars.

The latest blaze comes after three firefighters last month died while trying to extinguish a fire at another karaoke bar in Hanoi.  

Last night’s fire was the deadliest in Vietnam since 2018, when 13 people died in a blaze in an apartment complex in Ho Chi Minh City. 

And in 2016, an inferno in a karaoke bar in Hanoi left 13 people dead, which prompted a country-wide assessment of fire prevention measures at bars and clubs.  

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