Candy factory fire, 8 people died: Case initiated, welder urgently arrested

Four days after the fire that killed eight people, Hanoi City Police initiated a criminal case and arrested Kieu Tien Vinh, a welder, to investigate his violation of fire prevention and fighting regulations.

On August 2, the Investigation Police Agency, Hanoi City Police Department issued a decision to prosecute a criminal case and issue an emergency arrest warrant for Kieu Tien Vinh (31 years old), residing in cluster 2, Long Xuyen commune, Phuc Tho district, Hanoi, due to his direct involvement in the fire that occurred at a candy factory in Duc Thuong commune, Hoai Duc district.

Ambulance carries the body of a fire victim away from the scene

According to the investigation agency, Kieu Tien Vinh is a welder without a certificate for electric welding, has not been trained in labor safety, has not been issued a safety card, and has no fire prevention and fighting measures.

Kieu Tien Vinh used a welding machine to weld iron bars to a bed frame in the attic bedroom at the cake and chocolate factory, causing welding soot to splash onto foam boxes in the attic, causing a fire. This violated sections 2.1.5 and 3.4.2.1 of Vietnam Standard 03/2011/BLDTBXH; and violated clause 8, Article 13 of the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting.

Previously, the police also summoned Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc and his wife (born in 1992, residing in Phuc Tho, Hanoi), the owners of a cake and chocolate factory, to assist in the investigation.

From a legal perspective, lawyer Nguyen Anh Thom said that if the Investigation Agency has grounds to determine that the cause of the fire was due to welding in the factory, the person directly responsible for causing the fire will be held criminally responsible for violating regulations on fire prevention and fighting. The crime and punishment are stipulated in Article 240 of the Penal Code.

In addition to criminal liability, violators must also be responsible for compensating for damages caused according to the provisions of law.

In case a welder is hired to perform a construction task and causes a fire, the owner of the facility and the welder will have to jointly compensate according to the provisions of the 2015 Civil Code for failing to apply protective measures and ensure safety during the labor process, causing damage to people and property. If the welder performs the construction himself as an individual, he must bear full civil liability.

As reported by Cong Ly Newspaper, on the morning of July 29, at Km 19, National Highway 32, Thuong village, Duc Thuong commune, Hoai Duc district, Hanoi, a fire broke out at a house combined with a candy production facility, causing extremely serious consequences, killing 8 people, injuring 2 people and burning all the property inside the house.

According to Justice