Police inspect a karaoke parlour in Hà Nội. Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Fire safety measures among karaoke bars in Hà Nội are still not good enough and more needs to be done to avoid further tragedies, according to the city’s police.

The authorities made the conclusion after inspecting all the parlours in the capital and have released detailed guidelines on fire prevention and control for these businesses following tragic fire that led to dozens of deaths last year in Bình Dương Province.

There are still limitations in the fire safety measures including water supplies for firefighting, fire-resistant requirements, distance requirements, exit requirements and measures to prevent the spread of fire as well as technical systems for fire prevention and control.

The guidelines detail fire-resistant requirements for the construction, dimensional access for fire services and water supplies for firefighting.

Karaoke establishments must ensure minimum distance with neighouring structures and the function must be in accordance with the design that is approved by the authorities.

Regarding exits, there must be at least two separate emergency exits on a floor with a capacity of more than 50 people.

Interior decoration materials, sound and heat insulation materials on walls, partitions and suspended ceilings of escape routes, emergency exits, escape ladder rooms and rooms with large gatherings of people must be made of high-quality materials that are non-flammable or difficult to burn.

In the future, police will point out the specific shortcomings and violations in fire prevention and fighting, and hold dialogues with the karaoke business establishments to guide and provide information of standards and regulations on fire prevention and fighting, thereby helping them to be able to reopen soon.

In mid-February, hundreds of karaoke establishments in Hà Nội sent a group letter to concerned agencies calling for help when they were on the verge of bankruptcy after months of suspension due to fire safety issues.

According to the bars, they have been suspended for months following a large-scale inspection of fire safety issues by local authorities which concluded that they failed to meet fire safety measures.

Meanwhile, local authorities haven't issued instructions on how to fix their problems, especially as they have invested a lot in their businesses, the bar owners complained.

Colonel Phạm Trung Hiếu, head of the Hà Nội Department of Fire and Rescue Police, said that the city has more than 1,500 karaoke parlors and bars.

There are 400 establishments that have been fully licensed with relevant documents on fire prevention and fighting.

Strengthen fire safety in residential areas

Localities in Hà Nội are required to strengthen communication, raise public awareness and implement fire prevention models, following a series of blazes and explosions reported in the capital city recently.

According to the city People's Committee, the city will build and implement effectively the safety models of fire prevention, fighting and rescue.

The committee sets a target that each household will have at least one person participating in a course on disseminating knowledge and skills on fire prevention and fighting and rescue; 100 per cent of households to have fire safety and rescue equipment.

Each home will have one fire extinguisher and a demolition tool; such as a crowbar, force pliers, hammer, or axe.

The city is also focusing on building fire prevention models for households and residential areas such as "Fire safety group" and "Public fire fighting".

In order to implement effective fire prevention and fighting work, Hà Nội People's Committee requires the participation of all sectors and people.

In 2022, a total of 386 fires occurred in Hà Nội, killing 23 people and injuring 17 others, causing property loss of VNĐ19 billion (US$805,000). — VNS

In September 2022, a tragic fire occurred in Thuận An City in the southern province of Bình Dương, killing 33 people, of whom, 32 lost their lives in the fire and one died due to serious injuries caused by jumping from the burning floor.The owner of the karaoke bar was then arrested and investigated by the provincial People’s Procuracy for “violating regulations on fire prevention and fighting” as prescribed in Clause 3, Article 313 of the Penal Code.This, the deadliest karaoke fire in Việt Nam, broke out in the 30-room parlour, built on an area of 500 square metres. It was opened seven years ago and was inspected for fire safety three times, in 2019, 2021 and 2022 and passed all of them.In the most recent inspection in April 2022, the authorities noted a risk of an electrical short circuit due to the high electricity consumption and ordered it be remedied. However, the karaoke parlor ignored the order.Following the incident, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính asked ministries and localities to strengthen management and inspections of karaoke parlours, emphasising that venues failing to meet fire prevention and control regulations would be suspended.Authorities in many localities have ramped up fire safety inspection over karaoke parlours. — VNS