Romanian nightclub fire kills over two dozen
Saturday, October 31, 2015
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Officials said at least 27 people are dead and 155 injured after pyrotechnic effects used at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, Romania reportedly malfunctioned yesterday, sparking a fire.
Image: Toggy.
The club was hosting an album launch party which attracted hundreds of attendees at the time of the fire. As of this morning, some people thought to be attending the nightclub were still unaccounted for.
A witness told local media that pyrotechnics used in the club ignited nearby objects. The Facebook page for the album launch event said "customized light show and pyrotechnic effects" were to be used at the scene.
A crush occurred as people flocked to exits in an attempt to flee from the nightclub. A witness interviewed by Reuters said "there was a stampede of people running out of the club."
On the Facebook page for the album launch event, users who believed people they knew may have been attending the event posted questions asking about where their friends or family members were. Many victims of the fire did not carry any form of identification with them. The Government has set up a hotline for those whose friends or family members are believed to have been at the club.
President of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on Facebook he was "shocked and deeply saddened" ((ro))Romanian language: cutremurat și profund îndurerat by the incident.
Sources
- "Bucharest nightclub fire leaves Romania stunned" — BBC News, October 31, 2015
- Doug Bolton. "Bucharest nightclub fire: At least 26 killed and over 150 injured in fire at Colectiv nightclub in Romania" — The Independent, October 30, 2015
- Kit Gillet. "Dozens killed after explosion at Bucharest nightclub" — The Guardian, October 30, 2015
