Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Hanoi People's Procuracy has completed indictment to prosecute seven defendants in a mini apartment fire that killed 56 people in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi on September 12 last year.

That indictment names Nghiem Quang Minh, 45, who lives in Yen Hoa ward, Cau Giay district, Hanoi and owns the nine-storey mini apartment building on Khuong Ha street, Khuong Dinh ward.

Minh was prosecuted for "violating regulations on fire prevention and fighting", according to points a and c, Clause 3, Article 313 of the Penal Code.

Five former officials of Khuong Dinh ward and former head of the Thanh Xuan District Construction Inspection Team were prosecuted for "lack of responsibility causing serious consequences", according to points a and c, Clause 3, Article 360 of the Penal Code.

They are Pham Tan Anh, former deputy chairman of the ward People's Committee (2018 to the time of prosecution); Chu Xuan Son, former deputy chairman of the ward People's Committee (from 2015 to 2020); Nguyen Thi Kim Trang, former cadastral and construction officer of the ward (from 2010 to 2018); Nguyen Tuan Anh, former deputy head of the Khuong Dinh ward Police; Nguyen Dinh Quan, former head of the ward Construction Inspection Team (2014 to 2016); and Tran Trong Khang, former head of the Thanh Xuan district Construction Inspection Team (from 2013 to 2016).

On March 11, 2015, Minh was granted a construction permit for a family house on the land by the Thanh Xuan district People's Committee, with a total construction area of 1,165.9sq.m.

Under the construction permit, the total height of the building was set at 20.2m, including six floors with a total of 33 rooms.

From May 14, 2015 to the end of December 2015, Minh constructed and arbitrarily changed the house’s design. He built an additional three floors bringing the total number of floors to nine.

The house had 45 rooms, 12 over those in the permit, and he did not prepare design documents, review and manage fire prevention and fighting according to regulations.

The indictment stated that from October 2015 to April 2016, Minh sold 45 apartments and by the end of 2016, all of them were occupied.

Before the fire, 147 residents lived in the 45 apartments.

After selling all of the apartments, Minh did not reside in the building and determined that the management and usage rights belonged to the residents.

Minh is not responsible for the residents' living and operation of the building. All motorbikes, electric motorbikes and electric bicycles of the residents were parked on the first floor of the building, with an average of 70-80 motorbikes and electric bicycles of different kinds.

From August 31, 2018 to June 12, 2020, the Thanh Xuan district Police discovered many violations related fire prevention and fighting at the house.

They determined that those violations if not dealt with could lead to fire and explosions, causing particularly serious consequences.

The fire broke out at around 11.20pm on September 12, due to a short circuit in the electrical wiring in the battery area located next to the south wall of the first floor of the building.

The fire then spread to the electric cables, the electric boxes mounted on the south wall of the first floor and to the general area. Although the blaze was discovered, the fire extinguisher on the first floor could not put out the fire, leading a larger fire taking hold.

The Hanoi Police Command assigned firefighting forces to extinguish the fire and provide rescue services and by around 0.15am on September 13, the fire was essentially extinguished. The fire killed 56 people, injured 44 others and caused property damage of more than 3.2 billion VND (126,000 USD).

Minh was detained by the investigation agency that same day./.