Brazil nightclub inferno 'started by 92c flare'; 234 dead and dozens critically ill
Penny-pinching by a band known for its on-stage pyrotechnic displays may have cost more than 230 people their lives at a nightclub in southern Brazil, the policeman leading the investigation into the deadly blaze said.
Inspector Marcelo Arigony said members of the band knowingly bought flares meant for outdoor use because they cost just 92c each, compared with €26 for an indoor flare.
“The flare lit was for outdoor use only and the people who lit them know that,” said Mr Arigony, adding that members of the group admitted regularly opting for the less expensive flares.
“They chose to buy those because they were cheaper than those that can be used indoors.”
Mr Arigony, whose cousin died in the fire, added: “The pyrotechnics were part of their show – the guys even wore gloves on stage so they wouldn’t burn their hands.”
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The repercussions of the band’s choice to use flares continued to send shockwaves through Santa Maria, a college town of 260,000 people stunned by the Sunday morning tragedy at the Kiss nightclub.
The Rio Grande do Sul state forensics department raised the death toll yesterday from 231 to 234 to account for three victims who did not appear on the original list of the dead.
Authorities say more than 120 people remain in hospital for smoke inhalation and burns, dozens in a critical condition.
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The blaze began at around 2.30am local time, during a performance by Gurizada Fandangueira, a country music band that had made the use of pyrotechnics a trademark of their shows.
The band’s guitarist told the media that the 6,650 sq-ft club was packed with 1,200 to 1,300 people. Police have said the capacity for a club of that size is under 700 people.
Police said the club’s ceiling was covered with insulating foam made from a combustible material that appeared to have caught fire after it came in contact with a spark from a flare lit during the performance.
After the fire extinguisher malfunctioned, the blaze spread throughout the packed club at lightning speed, emitting a thick, toxic smoke. Because Kiss apparently had neither an alarm nor a sprinkler system and only one working exit, the crowd was left to search desperately for a way out.
About 50 victims were found in the club’s two bathrooms, where the blinding smoke caused them to believe the doors were exits.
The foam, which emitted a toxic gas, was not proper soundproofing equipment and was probably only used to cut down on the echo inside the club, Mr Arigony said.
He added that a full analysis of the foam was taking place. The malfunctioning fire extinguisher was not legal, he said, and the club’s operating license had expired in August.
“There were diverse irregularities,” he said. “Any child could have seen that this establishment should not have been open.”
Outraged residents, mostly young people like those who died in the blaze, marched through Santa Maria yesterday to demand justice for the dead, an unusual move in a country where public protests are rare.
The demonstration interrupted the police news conference, even as Mr Arigony pledged to investigate everyone involved in the tragedy – including the authorities charged with making sure such establishments meet safety rules.
“There could have been an administrative failure in the mayor’s office or with the firefighters,” he said. “We have no proof, but we will investigate, we will look into everything.”
No charges have been filed. Under Brazilian law, prosecutors can only file charges after police complete their investigation, which in this case could take 30 days. Prosecutors have said manslaughter charges could be filed.
The fire inspired nationwide action and several mayors said they would crack down on nightclubs and other venues in their cities.
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The government of the country’s biggest city, Sao Paulo, promised tougher security regulations for nightclubs and other places where many people gather.
The mayor of the city of Americana in Sao Paulo state ordered the temporary shutdown of 10 of the city’s nightclubs. Diego de Nadai suspended the operating permits of the nightclubs pending inspections into the fire and accident prevention measures in place, it was reported.
The Folha de S. Paulo newspaper said that in Manaus, nightclubs with empty fire extinguishers and unmarked emergency exits had been shut down and fined. And in Rio de Janeiro, a consumer complaint hotline has received more than 60 calls since Sunday’s tragedy reporting hazardous conditions at nightspots, theatres, supermarkets, schools, hospitals and shopping malls around the state.
Brazil’s O Globo newspaper said the mayor’s office in Santa Maria ordered all nightclubs closed for 30 days while inspections were carried out.
In Brasilia, the nation’s capital, politicians in the lower house worked on a proposal that would require minimum safety standards across Brazil – currently individual states create such laws.
Most of the dead were college students aged 18 to 21, but there were also some minors. Almost all died from smoke inhalation.
The blaze was the deadliest in Brazil since at least 1961, when a fire that swept through a circus killed 503 people in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro.
Sunday’s fire also appeared to be the worst at a nightclub anywhere in the world since December 2000, when a welding accident reportedly set off a fire at a club in Luoyang, China, killing 309 people.
