Karaoke shop fire in Binh Duong kills at least 33
At least 33 people have been confirmed dead after a karaoke parlor in the southern province of Binh Duong caught fire Tuesday night.
According to Binh Duong authorities, the deceased comprise 17 men and 16 women.
The blaze broke out around 9 p.m. at the four-level An Phu karaoke parlor on Tran Quang Dieu street, Thuan An town, about 40 minutes’ drive from Ho Chi Minh City.
Witnesses and survivors said the fire started inside, and that staff had used mini fire extinguishers to cope with the situation, but to no avail. The blaze spread rapidly, trapping many inside.
It took more than one hour for 13 fire trucks to bring the fire under control. However, smoke could still be seen billowing from the roof on Wednesday morning.
A witness said the karaoke parlor had operated for five years, and often closed its main door at around 11 p.m., with latecomers required to contact staff.
According to an initial Binh Duong police report, the karaoke owner is 42-year-old man Le Anh Xuan, who lives in nearby Thu Duc city on HCMC’s outskirts. He opened the establishment in 2016. The report said the blaze broke out on the second floor, trapping 22 people on the rooftop from where they were rescued.
The deceased are currently being identified as police probe the case.
In a rapid report to provincial authorities, police noted the karaoke parlor had a license and had undergone fire prevention appraisal.
Six years ago, in November 2016, a karaoke parlor fire in Hanoi's Cau Giay district had killed 13 people.
The parlor on Tran Thai Tong street was a tube house, with a sealed design, no ventilation windows and a large billboard on the wall outside. It took firefighters six hours to put out the fire.
On August 1 this year, three firefighters died in a search and rescue operation launched after a fire broke out at a six-storey karaoke parlor, also in Cau Giay district, Hanoi.
- Read More
Sumitomo subsidiary acquires 49% stake in Vietnam’s top crop protection firm
Summit Agro International Ltd., a member of Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo, has acquired a 49% stake in Hop Tri Investment Corporation, a leading crop protection firm in Vietnam.
Companies - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 8:25 pm GMT+7
E-wallets get thin as banking apps prosper in Vietnam
E-wallets appear unable to compete strongly against online banking applications in Vietnam, several market observers say.
Banking - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 7:15 pm GMT+7
Use social media influencers in targeted manner for e-commerce success: Vietnam execs
Vietnamese companies should use new generation influencers in a targeted manner, prioritizing specific market segments, standardizing quality and focusing on strong product categories to achieve e-commerce success, says Nguyen Ngoc Luan, CEO of Meet More Coffee.
Companies - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 4:26 pm GMT+7
VinFast’s parent, PV Power partner to speed up charging station expansion
Vietnamese private conglomerate Vingroup, the parent firm of electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast, and state-controlled PV Power have entered an agreement to develop charging stations across the country and promote rooftop solar installations.
Companies - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 4:11 pm GMT+7
Petrovietnam, Petronas to boost renewable energy cooperation
Petrovietnam and Petronas, two state-owned oil & gas giants of Vietnam and Malaysia, will further cooperate in renewable energy, including exchange of information, knowledge, and experiences.
Energy - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 2:59 pm GMT+7
FTSE Vietnam ETF may heavily buy Vinhomes, sell Vingroup in upcoming reshuffle: broker
FTSE Vietnam ETF is forecast to strongly buy in several Vietnamese heavyweights such as Vinhomes, Hoa Phat, and Vietcombank in its upcoming portfolio reshuffle.
Finance - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 2:45 pm GMT+7
$681 mln central Vietnam urban area project eyed by Sun Group gets authorities' nod
A VND17.3 trillion ($681 million) urban area project that is drawing the interest of major realty developer Sun Group has received an in-principle approval from Khanh Hoa province's administration.
Real Estate - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 1:53 pm GMT+7
Vietnam foreign ministry dismisses allegations of tightening visa rules for foreigners
Allegations of Vietnam tightening visa policies and control over foreigners are "baseless", Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang said Thursday.
Politics - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 11:29 am GMT+7
Thailand-invested food giant CP fined $31,000 for environmental violations
Vietnam’s southern province of Dong Nai has issued a fine of VND790 million ($31,080) to Thailand-invested C.P. Vietnam Corporation for violating environmental regulations.
Companies - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 10:48 am GMT+7
Vietnamese billionaire’s daughter spends $25 mln on Masan share purchases
Nguyen Yen Linh, the daughter of chairman Nguyen Dang Quang of consumer goods giant Masan Group (HoSE: MSN), has purchased nearly 8.5 million MSN shares over the past three weeks, meeting 85% of her target.
Finance - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 10:27 am GMT+7
PYN Elite manager upbeat about Vietnam’s economy, stock market despite Trump uncertainty
The Vietnamese economy will still fare well, and the local stock market will remain appealing despite the recent pullback following Donald Trump’s election win for a second term, said Petri Deryng, portfolio manager of Finland-based the PYN Elite fund.
Finance - Fri, November 22, 2024 | 8:25 am GMT+7
Central Vietnam province plans to build $2.4 bln LNG power plant from 2031
The 4,800-MW Chan May LNG power plant, with an investment of $2.4 billion, can be deployed in 2031-2035, according to Thua Thien Hue authorities.
Energy - Thu, November 21, 2024 | 10:41 pm GMT+7
Indonesia, France step up cooperation in economy, defence
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto discussed economic and defence cooperation during a bilateral meeting on Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Antara reported.
Southeast Asia - Thu, November 21, 2024 | 10:25 pm GMT+7
Thai economy to maintain upward momentum in 2025
The National Economic and Social Development Council of Thailand (NESDC) expects the Thai economy to sustain its upward momentum in 2025 with a growth of 2.3-3.3% despite growing risks.
Southeast Asia - Thu, November 21, 2024 | 10:24 pm GMT+7
Former parliament chairman Vuong Dinh Hue warned for violations
The Politburo, Vietnam's supreme decision making body, on Wednesday issued warnings to Vuong Dinh Hue, former Chairman of the National Assembly, and Nguyen Van The, former Minister of Transport, for violations while on duties.
Politics - Thu, November 21, 2024 | 10:10 pm GMT+7
Sumitomo insists on building LNG power plant in central Vietnam
Japanese trading house Sumitomo has been pushing for a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fed power plant investment in Vietnam’s central province of Khanh Hoa.
Energy - Thu, November 21, 2024 | 8:53 pm GMT+7