Defendants Seek Reduced Sentences
On June 5th, the Hanoi People’s Court of Appeals will hear the appeals of eight defendants and victims in the apartment fire that killed 56 people in the Khuat Dinh ward of Thanh Xuan district.
Those who have appealed for leniency include: Nghiem Quang Minh (the apartment owner); Nguyen Dinh Quan (former Head of the Construction Inspection Team of the Khuat Dinh Ward People’s Committee); Chu Xuan Son and Pham Tan Anh (former Vice Chairmen of the Khuat Dinh Ward People’s Committee); Nguyen Tuan Anh (former Deputy Chief of the Khuat Dinh Ward Police); Nguyen Thi Kim Trang (former land official of the Khuat Dinh Ward People’s Committee); Tran Trong Khang (former Head of the Thanh Xuan District Construction Inspection Team); and Pham Thanh Tung (former contract employee in charge of urban environment).
Presiding over the trial will be Judge Dang Thi Thom, alongside judges Dang Van Nam and Nguyen Tien Dung.
The defendants at the first-instance trial.
Previously, in mid-March, the Hanoi People’s Court sentenced Nghiem Quang Minh to 12 years in prison for “Violation of fire prevention and fighting regulations.”
The remaining defendants, including Nguyen Dinh Quan, Chu Xuan Son, and others, received sentences ranging from 30 months to 7 years in prison.
In terms of civil liability, the court ordered Nghiem Quang Minh to compensate a total of over 23.7 billion VND for the deaths of 56 people, as well as for funeral expenses, alimony, and emotional distress of the victims’ relatives.
Negligence and Irresponsibility of Former Officials
According to the court, defendant Nghiem Quang Minh owned a 240-square-meter plot of land on Khuong Ha street in Khuong Dinh ward, Thanh Xuan district. In 2015, he was granted a permit to build a private house with a first-floor area of 167.4 square meters, but during construction, he altered the design and expanded the first floor to 240 square meters. The permit allowed for 6 floors and 33 rooms, but he built 9 floors and 45 rooms (exceeding by 3 floors and 12 rooms). He also failed to establish a fire prevention and fighting design, review, acceptance, and management process.
Defendant Nghiem Quang Minh.
In July 2015, when the building was under construction on the 7th floor, the Khuong Dinh Ward Construction Inspection Team issued a notice to halt the construction. The owner was later fined 15 million VND by Thanh Xuan District, ordered to demolish the illegally constructed parts, and forced to comply with the decision.
However, upon receiving the enforcement decision, three defendants, Quan, Trang, and Tung, who were ward officials, drew up a report confirming that Minh had “self-dismantled the illegally constructed parts on the 7th floor.” They did not require the demolition of the parts that exceeded the permitted density and failed to report on the follow-up measures to handle Minh’s illegal construction.
The prosecution accused Chu Xuan Son, who was then Vice Chairman of the Khuong Dinh Ward People’s Committee, of failing to inspect and urge the three subordinates to enforce the decision.
Tran Trong Khang, Head of the Thanh Xuan District Construction Inspection Team, was aware of the “half-hearted enforcement” but did not further request the Construction Inspection Team and the People’s Committee of Khuong Dinh Ward to carry out the enforcement decision.
In April 2016, Minh completed the building and sold all 45 apartments to individuals and households.
Representatives of the victims at the trial.
From 2018 to 2020, the Thanh Xuan District Police discovered several fire prevention and fighting violations in the building, determining that if left unaddressed, they could lead to direct fire and explosion hazards with potentially severe consequences.
On June 24, 2020, Thanh Xuan District issued a decision to suspend the operation of the first floor of the building. Minh and the residents were required to ensure fire prevention and fighting measures but failed to do so. The Thanh Xuan District Police and the Khuong Dinh Ward Police continued to send documents to Minh and the residents, but there was no improvement.
On the night of September 12, 2023, a fire broke out due to an electrical short circuit near the battery bank mounted on the wall. The fire spread to the electrical cable area, the electricity meters mounted on the first-floor wall, and then to the surrounding areas.
The fire resulted in 56 deaths, 44 injuries of varying severity, and property damage worth 3.2 billion VND.
Former VEAM CEO Sentenced to 11 Years for Wasting Nearly VND 27 Billion
Between 2005 and 2011, VEAM Corporation purchased 305 automotive cabin die-casting sets that went unused, resulting in a staggering loss of nearly VND 27 billion.
The Perfect Blend of Home and Business: Fire Safety First
“For combined residential and business premises, it is mandatory to install fire alarm systems that are linked to the city’s fire control center, according to the Ministry of Public Security. These systems are designed to detect and report fires promptly, even before they are noticed by human occupants, thus enabling a timely response and potentially saving lives and property.”
The Art of Transforming Spaces: Navigating the Conversion of Residential Buildings
The Ministry of Construction has urged the People’s Committees of provinces and cities to pay attention to managing the conversion of the function of constructions in accordance with the law.
Golf Course Project in Viet Yen Fined VND 330 Million
The Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Giang province has imposed an administrative fine on Truong An Golf Investment Joint Stock Company, the investor of the Viet Yen golf course project.
The Dalat Golf Course Developer’s New Move Following Construction Violations on Cu Hill
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is seeking feedback on the environmental impact assessment report for the Dalat Golf Club project, proposed by Hoang Gia DL JSC.
