Reportedly, the death toll from a fire at a karaoke parlour in southern Vietnam has risen to 32, and some parts of the building are still inaccessible more than a day later.
The fire, which started late Tuesday, captured workers and customers inside the multi-story venue in Thuan An, Binh Duong province, according to state media. The fire was quickly put out, but it lingered into the next day.
As of late Wednesday, 32 deaths have been reported from the fire, and at least one karaoke room and one storage room had not been accessed due to the high temperature.
According to reports, some people were injured due to asphyxiation, while others suffered broken limbs after jumping from upper floors to try to escape the fire. Firefighters using ladders from their trucks managed to rescue others.
President Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and asked government officials to assist the families and quickly determine the cause of the fire. According to preliminary findings, it was caused by an electrical short circuit and began on the second or third floor.
In many parts of Southeast Asia, enforcement of safety standards at entertainment venues is sometimes lax, which is thought to contribute to multiple deaths in the event of a fire.
According to Thai police, a pub in the eastern province of Chonburi was providing live entertainment without a licence when a fire broke out in early August, trapping many people inside due to blocked or locked exits.
The death toll from that fire has risen to 23, with 13 killed on the night of the fire and 10 in the month since. Many had severe burns covering the majority of their bodies, making it extremely difficult to protect against deadly infections. At least five other victims are thought to be still on life support.