Six suspects charged in Hanoi mini-apartment building fire.
Regarding the fire at the mini-apartment building on Khuong Ha Street, Khuong Dinh Ward, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, on January 31, the Hanoi City Police Investigation Agency announced that it had issued a decision to prosecute six defendants for the crime of "Negligence causing serious consequences".
All six people charged are officials, including a construction inspector.
Previously, on the night of September 12th and early morning of September 13th, 2023, a 10-story mini-apartment building with 45 apartments on Khuong Ha Street, Khuong Dinh Ward, Thanh Xuan District, caught fire, killing 56 people and injuring 37 others.
Seven days after the devastating fire, on September 19, 2023, the Institute of Criminal Science of the Ministry of Public Security issued its conclusion on the cause of the fire.
According to the expert's conclusion, the fire originated in the area adjacent to the south wall, approximately 2.3 meters from the east wall, on the first floor inside the multi-apartment building.
The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical short circuit in the wiring near the battery compartment of a gasoline-powered motorcycle (a scooter) located against the south wall on the first floor, according to the investigating agency.
According to the expert's conclusion, the fire then spread to the electrical cables and meter boxes mounted on the wall on the first floor, and then spread to the surrounding area, leading to the horrific blaze.
Of the four fire extinguishers sent for inspection, three were unused, and one had been used.
The fire in the mini-apartment building had particularly serious consequences, with 56 deaths and 37 injuries.
Based on the collected documents, the Investigation Police Department of Hanoi City Police has issued a decision to initiate a criminal case, indict the suspect, and issue an arrest warrant for temporary detention (4 months) against Nghiem Quang Minh (born in 1979, currently residing in Yen Hoa, Cau Giay District, Hanoi City), the owner of the apartment building where the fire occurred, for the crime of "Violating fire prevention and fighting regulations" under Article 313 of the Penal Code.
According to the construction permit issued by Thanh Xuan District in March 2015, the project is a 6-story detached house with a ground floor construction area of 167m².2With a density of 70% and a total height of 20.2m, the developer actually transformed the low-rise residential building into a 10-story mini-apartment complex with a construction area of 230m².2, divided into 45 apartments for sale.
Following the fire, the Hanoi City Party Committee decided to investigate signs of violations by three Party organizations in Thanh Xuan district (the District Party Committee Standing Committee, the Thanh Xuan District Police Party Committee, and the Khuong Dinh Ward Party Committee for the 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 terms) to clarify the responsibilities of the organizations and individuals involved.
