News Over thirty people dead in Bucharest club fire, many injured

[S.G. Janssens]

This happened a week ago, during a Halloween party on Friday the 30th of October. For recent developments, please see

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34720074
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34720183

Meanwhile, a wiki page was established

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colectiv_nightclub_fire

This disaster is suspected to be the result of negligence on the part of the club owners and government agencies. According to many Romanians, it is a deadly symptom of widespread corruption in the country.

 

[Astronuc]

There was a similar incident in the US in 2003. One hundred people died, and nearly another 200 injured.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/02/21/deadly.nightclub.fire/

Pyrotechnics used by the heavy metal band Great White ignited the inferno. Owners of the nightclub have said they did not know the band planned to use fireworks, but Great White lead singer Jack Russell said, "Our tour manager set that up with the club."

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/02/21/nightclub.pyro/index.html

It could happen anywhere if folks ignore regulations and safety protocols.

 

[mheslep]

Interesting contrast in assignment of blame between the New York 2003 club fire and this one in Romanian. Apparently the Romanians are marching in the streets demanding a change of government, blaming corrupt government officials. In the US incident, the band manager and the club manager went to jail, with no accusations on government officials.

 

[Astronuc]

Death toll from Romania fire reaches 38, former mayor arrested
http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-romania-fire-reaches-38-former-mayor-143727983.html

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Six people died on Saturday from injuries sustained in a fire at a nightclub in Romania eight days ago, bringing the number of dead to 38 in a case which has sparked protests and led to the resignation of the government.

Two victims died in the Netherlands where they were sent for treatment.

Another 107 persons are in hospital with 48 in serious or critical condition.

On Saturday, anti-corruption prosecutors said they had taken Cristian Popescu Piedone, the mayor of the Bucharest district where Colectiv is located, into custody. He had resigned in the wake of the protests.

 

[S.G. Janssens]

There was a similar incident in the US in 2003.

Thank you for pointing this out, I'm a bit ashamed to say that I did not remember this at all. It's even more of a shame to see that not much seems to have been learned from these disasters.

Interesting contrast in assignment of blame between the New York 2003 club fire and this one in Romanian. Apparently the Romanians are marching in the streets demanding a change of government, blaming corrupt government officials. In the US incident, the band manager and the club manager went to jail, with no accusations on government officials.

This is a big contrast indeed. I suspect that government agencies enforcing safety regulations in the USA, although undoubtedly flawed as well, in principle take their responsibilities seriously and are therefore trusted in majority by the public? In Romania the opposite is true and corruption is the rule instead of the exception throughout the entire public sector. For instance, compare the USA (#17) and Romania (#69) here

https://www.transparency.org/cpi2014/results

Therefore, I think that this fire may have been the drop that spilled the glass.

Death toll from Romania fire reaches 38, former mayor arrested

Two victims died in the Netherlands where they were sent for treatment.

Another 107 persons are in hospital with 48 in serious or critical condition

Thank you, Astronuc. Yes, by the time of this response the death toll has risen to 45. The two people that died in the Netherlands did so while still on the plane and while in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, respectively. Not transporting them apparently wasn't an option, as this would have meant a sure death. Now they succumbed after all. I feel very strongly for them and their loved ones.