Postponement of Trial for Apartment Fire that Killed 56 People

The Hanoi High-Level People’s Court was scheduled to open an appeal trial this morning, June 5th, to review the appeals for reduced sentences filed by the defendants and victims in the mini-apartment fire that killed 56 people.

However, Judge Pham Van Nam, the trial’s presiding judge and vice president of the Hanoi High-Level People’s Court, announced that due to unforeseen circumstances, the trial has been postponed. The new trial date will be announced by the judging panel at a later time.

Previously, the Hanoi High-Level People’s Court had decided to review the appeal filed by defendant Nghiem Quang Minh, the owner of the mini-apartment where the fire broke out, resulting in 56 deaths. Minh was convicted of violating fire prevention and control regulations.

In addition to Minh, seven former officials from Thanh Xuan District and Khuong Dinh Ward in Hanoi also appealed for reduced sentences. Ten victims and one legal representative of a victim have also filed appeals.

In March 2025, Nghiem Quang Minh was sentenced by the Hanoi People’s Court to 12 years in prison for violating fire prevention and control regulations. The court also sentenced seven former officials from Thanh Xuan District and Khuong Dinh Ward to prison terms ranging from 30 months to seven years for negligence causing serious consequences.

According to the first-instance verdict, defendant Nghiem Quang Minh owned a 240-square-meter land lot on Khuong Ha Street (Khuong Dinh Ward) and was granted a construction permit for a six-story building with a mezzanine and a stairwell tower, totaling 33 rooms. However, Minh constructed a nine-story building with a stairwell tower, increasing the total number of rooms to 45. This exceeded the permitted number of floors and rooms by three and 12, respectively, without designing, reviewing, inspecting, or obtaining fire prevention and control management.

The defendants, who were officials of Khuong Dinh Ward and Thanh Xuan District, discovered the violations but failed to take action against the illegally constructed building. As a result, Nghiem Quang Minh was able to build nine unauthorized floors. After completing the building, from October 2015 to April 2016, Minh sold all 45 apartments.

At around 11:20 PM on September 12, 2023, an electrical short circuit occurred in the battery-powered electrical system located next to the south wall on the first floor, causing a fire. The fire then spread to the electrical cables and meters mounted on the south wall, eventually engulfing the entire area. The blaze resulted in 56 fatalities and 44 injuries.

In terms of civil liability, the court determined that the damages resulted from Minh’s violation of construction and fire prevention and control regulations. Therefore, Minh is responsible for compensating the victims for their losses, totaling VND 23.7 billion.