HCMC – The prime minister has ordered the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to study and issue more stringent karaoke service licensing regulations.
The task must be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s conclusion on fire fighting and prevention operations released by the Government Office on October 5.
The local media reported that the order aims to minimize the risks of fire at karaoke parlors and bars.
In addition, the Ministry of Public Security was told to work with local authorities and competent agencies to review and launch inspections on fire safety in apartment buildings, high-rise buildings, industrial parks, wet markets, warehouses, karaoke parlors, nightclubs and bars.
The Government leader asked the competent forces to strictly tackle businesses providing karaoke and bar services and buildings, markets and industrial parks that violate fire safety regulations.
The Ministry of Construction was tasked with reviewing regulations and issuing new rules and standards on fire safety and firefighting.
The Ministries of Public Security, Home Affairs and Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs were told to add rescue regulations and list firefighting as a dangerous and hazardous job.
The prime minister also ordered studying transferring technology and producing firefighting and rescue equipment. Departments and agencies were prompted to apply information technology, digital transformation and high technology to fire prevention and fighting operations.
The country has recently witnessed multiple deadly fires at karaoke parlors. In early August, a karaoke bar blaze killed three firefighters in Hanoi City, while in September, a fire at a karaoke parlor in Binh Duong Province left 32 people dead and 17 others injured.
Over the past five years, the nation has reported over 17,000 fires that killed 433 people, injured 790 others and destroyed 7,500 hectares of forest.
