PM calls for nationwide fire prevention inspections

Addressing an online national conference on fire fighting and prevention Monday, he asked the ministry to carry out a nationwide inspection and evaluation of fire fighting and prevention, particularly in high-risk regions like Hanoi’s Cau Giay District as well as places that host large crowds like karaoke parlors and tall apartment buildings.

A karaoke fire in the southern Binh Duong Province last Tuesday killed 32 people, over a month after three firefighters died trying to put out a fire at another karaoke parlor in Hanoi’s Cau Giay District.

Most recently, a mother and her two preschool children were killed Saturday afternoon after a bedding factory in Hanoi caught fire.

Faced with the reality of fires that have resulted in significant loss of life, Chinh said the causes should be determined, lessons learnt and preventive measures implemented.

If fires occurred frequently in a particular area or field, organizations and individuals must be held criminally responsible and punished, he said.

He told relevant agencies to devote their resources to developing systems and infrastructure for fire fighting and prevention including means of transportation and equipment as well as warning systems.

He assigned the Ministry of Construction to quickly complete fire safety standards for individual houses and specific business establishments, including karaoke parlors, clubs, bars, markets and warehouses.

The Ministry of Public Security should assume prime responsibility together with the Ministry of National Defense and Justice, to study and develop the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting and Rescue, the PM said.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade should be responsible for amending regulations on electricity use, ensuring safety at establishments and households.

The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs should study and add fire prevention and fighting and rescue to the list of heavy, hazardous and dangerous occupations and formulate specific policies for this force.

According to an official report tabled at the meeting, between 2017 and 2021, more than 17,000 fires occurred in Vietnam, killing 433 and injuring 790 others, causing losses exceeding VND7 trillion and damaging more than 7,500 hectares of forests.