A fire killed at least 32 people and injured several in a karaoke bar near Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, overnight Tuesday through Wednesday. This is one of the deadliest accidents in Vietnam in recent years.
According to the latest update by local authorities reported by the city media, the death toll is 32, of which 15 are women. Eight bodies were found specifically in the toilets, according to the same source. The previous tally indicated 23 deaths. An official from Binh Duong province, where the tragedy occurred, told AFP that 11 were also injured.
“We are looking for more victims,” Mai Hung Dung insisted. The disaster occurred on Tuesday evening in the “An Phu” karaoke bar in Thuan An, north of Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s industrial center. The cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit, according to a report by the provincial authorities, cited by state media.
The fire destroyed the second and third floors of the building with four levels and thirty karaoke rooms, trapping customers and staff. Some took refuge on a balcony as the flames grew in intensity, fueled inside by the wooden decorations. Others had to jump off the floors, an official newspaper described.