Worldwide desk – At least 27 people, mostly teenagers and young, were killed in a fire that broke out at a nightclub in Romanian capital Bucharest, officials said.
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The death toll is now 27, officially, with 180 people wounded.
There was only one emergency exit available, and many revellers did not immediately react because they thought the flames were part of the show.
According to witnesses the fire started as a result of a pyrotechnic display by a heavy metal band. Minister said that the government has established a crises unit to deal with the situation at nightclub and an investigation team has been deployed to know the reason for the accident.
The fiery explosion is believed to have happened when a spark onstage ignited a few polystyrene decor during the set by Goodbye to Gravity, who were celebrating the release of their new album.
A pillar covered with foam panels and the club’s ceiling went up in flames, followed by an explosion and heavy smoke, the witnesses said.
The authorities created seven help lines where people can inquire about their relatives and check whether they are among the dead: 021/2069291, 021/3130605, 021/2069283, 021/2648704, 021/2648525, 021/2069375 and 021/3122547.
An Associated Press photographer at the scene saw people wandering around outside the club clad in emergency blankets in an apparent state of confusion. “There is now enough blood, but tomorrow we will need all of you”, said a statement on the page, encouraging people to head to the city’s blood transfusion clinic in the morning.
Parents and friends gathered outside the nightclub for hours as news of the fire spread, searching desperately for their loved ones. “Some of those being admitted to hospital have burns all over their bodies”, reported Sanda Nicola, a Romanian journalist.
The Romanian government is meeting later and is expected to announce three days of mourning.
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Prime Minister Victor Ponta, just back from an official visit to Mexico, ordered checks on clubs across the country to see whether safety and firefighting norms are being observed.
