HANOI – At least 13 people were killed in a fire at a karaoke bar in downtown Hanoi, Vietnam, local media reported on Tuesday.

The fire broke out at the eight-story karaoke bar in Cau Cau Giay district and quickly spread to several nearby buildings housing restaurants and other karaoke bars, they said. It reportedly took firefighters about five hours to put out the blaze.

Online newspaper VnExpress quoted Maj. Gen. Doan Viet Manh of the fire department as saying that 13 bodies were recovered from the scene.

In a statement on a government website, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered local authorities to search for victims and ordered police to carry out a prompt investigation.

– with other agencies