23 Dead, 11 Injured In Vietnam Karaoke Bar Fire

The death toll from a fire that tore through a karaoke bar in southern Vietnam has risen to 23, an official said Wednesday.

The blaze engulfed the second floor of the building on Tuesday night, trapping customers and staff as dense smoke filled the staircase and blocked the emergency exit, reports said.

Many crowded onto a balcony to escape the flames, which grew quickly as they caught the wooden interior, while others were forced to jump from the building, state media added.

Photos showed plumes of smoke billowing out of the bar — located in a crowded residential neighbourhood in Thuan An city, north of commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City in Binh Duong province — as firefighters on cranes tried to extinguish the blaze.

Authorities had previously put the death toll at 12.

The initial cause of the fire was said to be an electrical short circuit, state media reported, citing a report by Binh Duong authorities.

Witness Nguyen Sang, who lives near the karaoke bar, told the VnExpress news site that when fire trucks arrived at the scene, a receptionist said there were 40 people stuck inside.