The Investigation Police Agency of the Hanoi Public Security Department has initiated legal proceedings based on charges of "violating regulations on fire prevention and fighting." The decision comes less than 24 hours after a massive blaze engulfed the facility on Sunday evening, destroying nearly 500 vehicles, the vast majority of which were motorbikes.
Authorities stated that the move to a criminal investigation was based on two key factors from the initial inquiry: the "exceptionally large" scale of property damage, estimated to be in the tens of billions of Vietnamese Dong (hundreds of thousands of US dollars), and clear "signs of violations in the management and operation" of the parking facility.
The investigation will now focus on determining the extent of negligence and assigning legal accountability for the disaster. Officials are currently working with and questioning the owner of the parking lot and other relevant individuals to clarify their roles and responsibilities regarding the implementation of mandatory fire safety protocols.
While an electrical short from a single motorbike is still the suspected trigger for the blaze, the criminal probe suggests that inadequate safety measures, such as a lack of proper fire suppression equipment or flawed operational procedures, may have allowed the initial spark to escalate into a catastrophic inferno.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the capital, where millions rely on motorbikes for their daily commute and livelihood. In response, city leaders have already ordered a sweeping review of fire safety standards at all parking lots across Hanoi, particularly the thousands of similar informal facilities located under bridges and in the basements of residential buildings. The outcome of this criminal case is expected to set a significant precedent for the management and regulation of such facilities city-wide.
