The Ministry of Construction has asked cities and provinces around Vietnam to promptly inspect all mini-apartment buildings to detect any violations of construction regulations, particularly fire prevention and fighting regulations.

Violations will be strictly punished.

It said that many individuals and households have recently been reported as building multi-story buildings for lease or sale without abiding by regulations on construction and fire prevention and fighting.

This has led to many negative consequences, such as overloading of technical, social, and transport infrastructure, environmental pollution, and social disorder, according to the ministry.

Violations of fire prevention regulations pose a major risk of fire and explosion, the ministry said.

The recent fire in a ten-story mini-apartment building in Hanoi, for example, caused serious damage in terms of both life and property.

The ministry also required that local authorities tighten control over the licensing of new construction projects, to ensure quality and legal compliance.