Ho Chi Minh: 12 people dead in karaoke bar fire

At least twelve people have died and several others injured after a huge fire at a karaoke bar complex in Ho Chi Minh City.

The fire broke out on the uppers floor of the establishment on Tuesday night, quickly trapping several customers.

To escape, four people even jumped from the second and third floors, local media said. They were injured but survived.

Firefighters reached the scene shortly after alarms went off.

Crews said the blaze took just under an hour to bring under control. Investigators are still determining the cause of the blaze.

The An Phu karaoke bar, located in the Binh Duong region just north of the city, occupied a significantly sized building with 29 rooms.

About a third of the building had been on fire, local officials said.

It had been decorated with several decorations and wooden decor, BBC Vietnamese reported.

This is not the first time a fire has broken out at a karaoke bar in Vietnam. Last month, three firefighters died after trying to extinguish a fire at another karaoke bar in Hanoi.