HCM CITY — HCM City police on Tuesday began criminal proceedings against and detained Nguyễn Quốc Tuấn, head of the management board of Carina Plaza, for his alleged violations in fire safety regulations, which led to the March blaze. 
On March 26, investigations were launched into the incident, which was caused by a malfunctioned scooter parked in the apartment complex’s basement, three days earlier. 
Police said its investor, Hưng Thành Co. Ltd., had failed to obey fire safety regulations. When the fire took place, necessary equipment was not available, while fire alarms and the sprinkler system did not work. 
In 2016 and 2017, the Fire Police Division of District 8 inspected and found a series of violations at the complex, such as failed alarms, sprinkler system and emergency lighting system. Orders to fix these problems were sent to the Carina Plaza management board, but no improvements were made. 
In December 2016, the company signed a contract on management services with the Saigon Real-Estate Service JSC (SEJCO), which then appointed Tuấn as head of the management board. 
Investigations revealed that Tuấn was aware of the problems with the fire safety devices, but failed to make repairs. 
The blaze, which started around midnight on March 23 in the basement between Buildings A and B of the complex, killed 13 residents and injured more than 90 others. 
Police on April 20 also started criminal proceedings against Nguyễn Văn Tùng, Director of Hưng Thành Co. Ltd., for his alleged violations in fire safety regulations 
Carina Plaza is a high-end apartment complex including three buildings with 15-21 storeys and 736 apartments. It was put into use six years ago. — VNS