Vietnam police arrest suspect in Hanoi cafe fire that killed 11 people

Police in Vietnam have arrested a man suspected of opening fire at a Hanoi cafe after an argument with staff, killing 11 people while two of the seven rescued from the flames were rescued, officials said Thursday. Has been admitted to the hospital.

In a statement, police said the man confessed to using gasoline to set fire to the ground floor of the three-story café on Wednesday, where people were singing karaoke-style.

Government spokesperson said, the suspect is around 50 years old Tien Fong The newspaper also said that a witness reported hearing the sound of an explosion.

Another witness told the newspaper, “The fire blocked all the exits.” “The smell of gasoline was strong.”

Police said it took about 40 minutes to control the fire, which was reported after 11 pm. Of the seven people rescued, two were admitted to hospital.

Images in an online newspaper, VNExpressFiremen were shown working to extinguish the fire while the bodies of several victims were carried away.

It quoted an eyewitness as saying, “I saw a plume of smoke from a distance.” “I was so scared that I had to urge my grandson to go down.”

“The flames were very severe. We saw the fire… but there was nothing else we could do.”

On Thursday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for an immediate investigation and strict action against anyone violating the law.