Vietnam has a population of 100 million people, a third of whom live in tightly-packed urban areas.
To meet the demands for accommodation, Vietnam in 2014 legalised small apartment blocks – known locally as “mini apartments” – which are mostly owned and built by private individuals, and sometimes later resold or rented to low-income and migrant workers.
According to the indictment cited by VNExpress, 45-year-old Nghiem Quang Minh, the owner of the block that went up in flames, illegally changed the design of the building to make it three floors higher and with 12 extra rooms.
While under construction, the illegal changes were reported and Minh was fined, but the officials involved did not report the wrongdoings to their superiors, VNExpress added.
By 2016, all 45 apartments in the building were reportedly sold. Four years later, fire prevention regulations were flagged once again, but officials did not ask Minh to make appropriate changes.
A short circuit within the wiring system of the block started the 2023 fire, which also injured 44 people, the indictment said.
Residents have requested compensation of 76.4 billion dong (US$3 million). The verdict is due on Wednesday.
The fire was the deadliest in Vietnam since October 2002, when a blaze killed 60 people at the International Trade Centre in Ho Chi Minh City.
But the country has experienced several serious fires in recent years, many at entertainment venues, including karaoke bars.
