The crowd panicked as thick smoke engulfed the room, prompting people to scramble to escape from the club, located in a communist-era basement. The fire at what had been one of Boston’s foremost nightspots led to new requirements for sprinkler systems and accessible exits. Photos posted on social media appeared to show a flame emanating from a pillar covered in foam insulation as those in the audience applauded the band.
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The owner of the nightclub is helping police with their inquiries. Those who remained hospitalized have moderate to severe burn injuries, including a number of wounded in critical condition.
Goodbye to Gravity’s guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihai Alexandru were among the 27 dead, Mediafax news agency reported, citing the band’s record label Universal Music Romania.
A total of 10 injured at the Hospital for Plastic Surgery are in serious condition, according to the hospital. “In 30 seconds … the fire spread all over the ceiling”.
“I am outraged that such a tragedy happened right in the center of Bucharest”, Iohannis said Saturday after visiting a few of the injured people.
One eyewitness said there was a stampede of people running out of the club after the fire, in one of Bucharest’s worst incidents for decades.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sent a message of condolences: “I am greatly saddened to see so many young lives ending so tragically”.
“Friends were looking for each other under the pile of people. In the next three, we rushed to a single door”, she told television station Antena 3. “The others behind me started to get out burned, their skin was black”, Teodorescu told euronews.
Thousands of people marched silently with flowers through Bucharest on Sunday to commemorate the victims and USA ambassador Hans Klemm visited the Colectiv nightclub site, meeting people who had lit candles to express solidarity with the grieving families.
“I’ve got strong clues the law was broken in this case”.
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– December, 1983: A fire at the Alcala dance hall in Madrid, Spain left 78 people dead and more than 20 injured.
