The owner of a karaoke parlor in Hanoi was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday for flouting fire prevention and fighting regulations, resulting in the death of three firefighters who were on duty last year.

The Hanoi People’s Court on Monday handed down the sentence to Pham Duy Hung, a 40-year-old resident of Cau Giay District, Hanoi and the owner of the ISIS karaoke parlor in the district, after a day of trial.

Hung’s violations were serious, resulting in severe consequences, according to the court.

The court required Hung to compensate the family of each firefighter VND230 million (US$9,665).

He will also have to provide VND2 million ($84) per month as restitution to the mother of Dang Anh Quan, one of the deceased firefighters, and VND2 million ($84) per month to Quan’s two children until they are 18 years old.

Hung showed repentance for his violations and offered a heartfelt apology to the families of the three firefighters.

He acquired the ISIS karaoke parlor, consisting of six floors and an attic, on Quan Hoa Street, Cau Giay District in March 2018.

The People’s Committee of Cau Giay District allowed the use of four rooms from the third to the sixth floors of the building for karaoke services.

However, Hung provided services in nine rooms from the second to the sixth floors.

In February 2022, Hung hired someone to upgrade and expand an additional two rooms on the seventh floor of the building, using a metal frame, fencing, roofing, gypsum ceilings, soundproofing layers, power and air conditioning systems, along with decorations, without notifying the local authorities. 

He began using a room on the seventh floor for karaoke services and another for storage in May last year.

He was aware that his karaoke parlor would be eligible for operations after getting a fire safety certificate. However, while applying for the certificate, he ran his business as usual.

The establishment was open from 11:00 am to 2:00 am the next day.

At about 1:00 pm on August 1, 2022, a fire broke out on the seventh floor and spread across the entire karaoke parlor.

The Hanoi police later detached many fire trucks and firefighters to the scene to put out the fire.

During the firefighting and rescue, firefighters Dang Anh Quan, Do Duc Viet, and Nguyen Dinh Phuc lost their lives.

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