8 jailed for Hanoi fire that killed 56

The building had only a single exit and no emergency ladder on the outside. Neighbours and residents reported hearing screams as people struggled to escape the flames through barred windows.

The owner of the nine-storey block deserved "the most serious punishment" for the blaze in September 2023, the court in Hanoi said, convicting him of violating fire prevention regulations and jailing him for 12 years.

The actions of the apartment block owner Nghiem Quang Minh were "very dangerous", the verdict said, "causing especially serious consequences in human lives and material damage".

One of the four sides of the building, which was down a narrow alley in a densely populated area of the capital, had no windows at all and another had only tiny ventilation slots.

"Among those dead and injured were several children and people of the same family, causing huge pain," the court said.

Minh was ordered to pay a total of VND23.7 billion (US$900,000) to the victims' families and survivors.

Nghiem Quang Minh at a court in Hanoi, March 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Danh Lam

Seven local officials were also handed jail terms from 30 months to seven years for "lack of responsibility causing serious consequences" after failing to report the owner's wrongdoing properly.

According to the indictment cited by media reports, Minh illegally changed the design of the building to make it three floors higher and with 12 extra rooms.

The illegal changes were reported while the building was under construction and Minh was fined but the officials involved did not report the wrongdoings to their superiors.

All 45 apartments in the building were reportedly sold by 2016. Fire prevention violations were flagged again in the years leading up to the fire but no appropriate changes were made.

Vietnam has experienced several serious fires in recent years, many at entertainment venues including karaoke bars.