Man sets café on fire after dispute over unpaid bill, causing 11 deaths

On December 18, Cao Văn Hùng, a 51-year-old man from Đại Mạch, Đông Anh District, Hanoi, set fire to a café on Phạm Văn Đồng Street, resulting in the deaths of 11 people. This tragic event followed an altercation that arose when Hùng was unable to pay for a beer and a pack of cigarettes.

According to Hùng's statement to the police, he entered the café and ordered a beer and cigarettes. When he asked how much he owed, a female employee informed him that the total was 50,000 VND. Hùng searched his pockets but realized he had left his wallet elsewhere. He then told the employee to wait while he went to retrieve the money.

However, before he could leave, the employee shouted that he was trying to avoid paying. At this point, a man approached and attacked Hùng, knocking him to the ground and continuing to kick and punch him. After roughly 10 minutes, Hùng regained consciousness and, enraged by the assault, decided to take revenge.

Hùng called a taxi, bought a bucket and 150,000 VND worth of gasoline, and returned to the café. He poured the gasoline through a window, spilling it inside the building and onto himself. Shortly after, the fire broke out.

Authorities confirmed that there were 17 people inside the café at the time. Of these, 11 died (seven men and four women), while four others were injured. The

Hùng has been charged with murder, and the investigation is ongoing.