An additional 11 dead bodies have been pulled out of the debris and rescue work is underway, confirmed Mai Hung Dung, deputy head of the Binh Duong administration at 6pm on September 7.
Local authorities put it at 12 on the morning of September 7.
All the victims in the fire have not been unaccounted for, said an official, adding that it was difficult to identify the bodies because they were all burned to death.
Many relatives of the victims arrived at the hospital’s morgue waiting for identification.
Though the fire was extinguished, relevant forces have yet to access the two VIP rooms of An Phu karaoke bar due to overheating.
“We have to break the wall and spray water to beat the heat,” said a firefighter named Dung who had rescued more than 20 from the fire.
The fire broke out at the three-story An Phu karaoke bar on Tran Quang Dieu street at a round 9pm, said the police.
The fire raged so violently on the upper floor that some staff and guests singing in the bar could not escape the bar.
Many were trapped inside, said people who managed to get out of the burning bar.
Some jumped out to escape the fire and they suffered injuries, they said.
The police confirmed 12 people had been killed as of September 7 morning. About 40 people have been taken to An Phu hospital for emergency treatment. Among them, 11 were seriously injured.
The police launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.
The bar was said to contain many inflammable interior decoration materials that caused the fire to spread quickly and strongly.
On hearing about the news, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent condolences to the bereaved families of the victims and asked relevant forces to look into the cause of the fire
On September 7 morning, the government of Binh Duong decided to put all karaoke bars in the province under the microscope.
Accordingly, relevant forces will inspect fire prevention and control at all karaoke bars, and any violations of regulations would be subject to hefty sanctions.
