Brazilian nightclub fire kills 230
A nightclub fire in Santa Maria, Brazil early Sunday killed more than 230 partygoers. The quick-moving blaze flared up at Kiss nightclub, which was packed with about 2,000 people – most of them students from a local university.
Pyrotechnics during a performance from the band may have set the club’s ceiling on fire. Many people were trapped inside the club after bodies of the dead blocked the venue’s single exit door. Many of the dead suffocated in the toxic fumes, some were trampled to death.
“Large amounts of toxic smoke quickly filled the room, and I would say that at least 90 percent of the victims died of asphyxiation,” said Dr. Paulo Alfonso Beltrame, a professor of the medical school of the Federal University of Santa Maria. “The toxic smoke made people lose their sense of direction so they were unable to find their way to the exit.”
The horrific fire left burned bodies unidentified and families in sorrow. The emergency responders did not realize the extent of the fire, and were understaffed and not prepared for the many casualties. The concert was the last day of celebrating for many of the students, as classes were scheduled to start again on Monday. Santa Maria Mayor Cezar Schirmer declared a 30-day mourning period. The governor of the Brazilian state said officials were investigating the causes of the disaster.