At least 23 people have died in a fire at a karaoke bar in southern Vietnam.
Eleven others were injured, a local police spokesman told the German Press Agency on Wednesday.
The fire probably broke out on Tuesday evening after a short circuit in Thuan An, north of downtown Ho Chi Minh City, and quickly spread to the second and third floors of the building, according to the VnExpress newspaper.
Attempts by local staff to fight the flames with small fire extinguishers were unsuccessful.
When the fire also blocked the emergency exits, some visitors jumped from a balcony about seven to eight meters down, it said.
They would have injured themselves, but survived.
Resident Nguyen Sang told news site VnExpress that when firefighters arrived at the burning bar, 40 people were believed to be inside the building.
More than a dozen fire engines were deployed to bring the fire under control.
On Wednesday, emergency services were still looking for other possible victims in the rubble.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered a review of all vulnerable venues, particularly karaoke bars popular in the country.
However, according to state media, local police assured that fire safety measures in the bar and its 30 karaoke rooms were checked prior to the fire.
Fires are common in Vietnam.
The fire protection regulations are lax and the fire brigade is often poorly equipped.
In 2018, 13 people died in a fire in a high-rise apartment building in Ho Chi Minh City.
In 2016, a fire at a karaoke bar in the capital Hanoi killed 13 people trapped in the soundproof booths.
Last month, three firefighters died trying to extinguish the fire at another karaoke bar in Hanoi.