Phạm Duy Hùng at the trial on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — After one day of trial, judges yesterday issued a sentence for Phạm Duy Hùng, the owner of a karaoke bar in Cầu Giấy Hà Nội, where a fire in 2022 resulted in the death of three firefighters.

Phạm Duy Hùng, owner of ISIS Karaoke in Quan Hoa, Cầu Giấy were presented with a sentence of up to 10 years in prison yesterday for 'violations of firefighting and fire prevention rules'.

According to the Supreme People's Procuracy (SPP) based on the case file and the results of the trial hearing, it was shown that Hùng was aware that the karaoke bar fell under the category that required design approval and fire prevention and fighting inspection before being allowed to operate. Despite not having been granted a certificate of meeting the business conditions, Hùng continued to operate the establishment.

The SPP considers this to be a case of serious violation of fire prevention and fighting regulations, resulting in particularly severe consequences, leading to the sacrifice of three firefighters.

During the pandemic, the state and the Hà Nội People's Committee prohibited karaoke operations to ensure the safety of the people. However, Hùng continued to run his business without proper permits and without having fire prevention and fighting approval.

According to the SPP, in recent times, there have been numerous complex fire and explosion incidents in apartment buildings and karaoke lounges that have resulted in loss of life, substantial material and psychological damage, and a negative impact on social order.

Therefore, the SPP believes that the defendant should be dealt with severely to serve as a deterrent and a lesson.

According to the indictment, on March 19, 2018, Phạm Duy Hùng purchased the karaoke business premises of ISIS, located at house No. 231, Quan Hoa Street, Quan Hoa Ward, Cầu Giấy District, Hà Nội (consisting of six floors and an attic), from Nguyễn Duy Trung, to operate the karaoke business.

Hùng used nine rooms from the second to the sixth floor of the building as karaoke rooms.

By February 2022, Hùng hired someone to renovate and expand an additional two rooms on the seventh floor of the building using a steel frame, metal fencing, metal roofing, gypsum ceilings, soundproofing layers, and a complete electrical and air conditioning system, along with decorations, to serve the karaoke business, without notifying the local authorities. The renovation and expansion work was completed by the end of April 2022.

Starting from May 1, 2022, Hùng began using Room 702 as a karaoke singing room, while temporarily using Room 701 as a storage area. Hùng was aware that the karaoke lounge fell under the category requiring design approval and fire safety inspection to meet one of the conditions for operation. However, during the time Hùng was in the process of submitting the documents to obtain the certificate for meeting security and order conditions and seeking approval for fire safety, he continued the karaoke business activities.

The usual singing sessions lasted from 11am on the previous day to 2am the following day. Around 1pm on August 1, 2022, a fire broke out on the seventh floor and quickly spread throughout the entire karaoke lounge.

During the firefighting and rescue operation at the ISIS karaoke lounge, officers Đặng Anh Quân along with Đỗ Đức Việt and Nguyễn Đình Phúc (officers of the Firefighting and Rescue Team, Cầu Giấy District Police) sacrificed their lives at the scene.

According to the forensic conclusion of the Institute of Forensic Science, the Ministry of Public Security concluded that the fire originated from inside 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, which ignited the insulation, leading to the fire spreading and resulting in the catastrophic incident. VNS