Eight individuals stood trial on Monday following a devastating fire that swept through a Hanoi apartment block in 2023, claiming 56 lives in Vietnam’s worst blaze in 20 years.
The nine-storey building, located in a crowded alley of the capital, was illegally modified by its owner to accommodate more tenants, violating fire safety regulations, according to state media.
The building’s owner, Nghiem Quang Minh, 45, faces charges for breaching fire prevention laws after unlawfully extending the structure by three floors and adding 12 extra rooms.
Seven local officials are also being prosecuted at the Hanoi court for “lack of responsibility causing serious consequences” after they failed to properly report Minh’s illegal alterations.
Many survivors and relatives of the deceased attended the court proceedings on Monday, according to state-run VNExpress.
The fire broke out just before midnight on September 12, 2023, with terrified residents heard screaming as they tried to escape through barred windows.
The building had only one exit and lacked an external emergency staircase. One side of the structure had no windows at all, while another featured only small ventilation openings.
Following the incident, authorities launched a nationwide inspection of fire safety measures in mini apartment buildings and other densely populated rental accommodations.
Vietnam, home to 100 million people, has a third of its population living in tightly packed urban centres.
In response to rising housing demands, the country legalised small apartment blocks—known locally as “mini apartments”—in 2014. These are often privately built and later sold or rented out, mainly to low-income earners and migrant workers.
According to VNExpress, officials had fined Minh for his illegal modifications during the building’s construction. However, those responsible did not escalate the issue to higher authorities.
By 2016, all 45 apartments had been sold, yet fire safety concerns resurfaced in 2020. Again, authorities failed to enforce necessary changes.
Investigators determined that an electrical short circuit sparked the 2023 blaze, which also left 44 people injured.
Survivors and victims’ families are seeking 76.4 billion dong (around £2.4 million) in compensation. A verdict is expected on Wednesday.
The incident was Vietnam’s deadliest fire since 2002, highlighting ongoing concerns over unsafe housing.
