DENSELY POPULATED
Vietnam has a population of 100 million people, a third of whom live in densely populated urban areas.
According to official figures, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the two locations with the nation’s highest population density, with 2,398 and 4,363 people per square kilometre respectively.
To meet the demands for accommodation, Vietnam in 2014 legalised small apartment blocks, known locally as “mini apartments”.
They must comprise at least two fully-equipped apartments, with shared lifts or a staircase. These are mostly owned and built by private individuals, and sometimes later resold or rented to low-income and migrant workers.
The fire this week 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.
A year ago, a karaoke bar blaze near Ho Chi Minh City killed 32 people and injured 17. The owner was later arrested on charges related to breaching fire prevention regulations.
In the aftermath, the prime minister ordered an inspection of all high-risk venues.
But many businesses have complained the regulations are too onerous. Some have struggled to meet the requirements and remain closed.
Another 13 people died in 2016 in a karaoke venue in Hanoi following a fire.
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