Looks like it could be pyrotechnics again:


Video here: [cnn.com]


At least 245 killed in Brazil nightclub fire
By Shasta Darlington and Marilia Brocchetto, CNN
updated 9:58 AM EST, Sun January 27, 2013


Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) -- A fire swept through a popular nightclub in southern Brazil on Sunday, killing at least 245 people, state media reported, citing police.

The death toll was expected to climb as firefighters continued to pull bodies from the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, said Col. Adilomar Silva, the regional coordinator of civil defense.

Most of those killed appeared to have died of smoke inhalation, Silva said. Hundreds are believed to have been injured, though an exact count was not immediately available.

Many people were trampled in the panic to leave the club, one security guard told CNN affiliate Band News.

Smoke billowed outside the front of the building as the stench of fire filled the air, said Max Muller, who was riding by on his motorbike when he saw the blaze.
Muller recorded video of a chaotic scene outside the club, which showed emergency crews tending to victims and dazed clubgoers standing in the street. Bodies laid on the ground beside ambulances.

Friends who were inside the club told him that many struggled to find the exits in the dark. Muller, who was not inside the club Sunday morning but has been there twice before, said there were no exit signs over the doors. It is rare to see such signs in Brazilian clubs.

Video from the scene showed firefighters shooting streams of water at the club and shirtless men trying to break down a wall with axes.

Hours later, families and friends searching for information were outside a nearby sporting complex, where bodies were taken for identification, the state-run Agencia Brasil reported.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff teared up as she spoke of the tragedy to reporters in Chile, where she has been attending a regional summit. Rousseff said she was heading to Santa Maria later Sunday.

"The Brazilian people are the ones who need me today," she said. "I want to tell the people of Santa Maria in this time of sadness that we are all together."
The fire started at about 2 a.m. after the acoustic insulation in the Kiss nightclub caught fire, Silva said.

There was a pyrotechnics show going on inside the club when the fire started. Authorities stopped short of blaming it for the blaze, saying the cause was still under investigation.

The incident called to mind a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island where pyrotechnics used by the heavy metal band Great White ignited a blaze that killed more than 90 people.

Pyrotechnics were also involved in a 2004 night club fire in Argentina that killed 194 people and a 2009 explosion at a night club in Russia that left more than 100 dead.

The Kiss nightclub is popular with young people in Santa Maria, drawing between 2,000 and 3,000 people a night on the weekends.

The blaze broke out during a weekend when students were celebrating the end of summer. Students at many Brazilian universities return to school on Monday.

Santa Maria is home to the Federal University of Santa Maria as well as a number of other private universities and colleges.

[www.cnn.com]

This band won't play in Brazil soon...

Similar situation as The Station Nightclub fire in RI a few years back .

[hereandnow.wbur.org]

A Brazilian nightclub where hundreds died in a fire Sunday was about 1,000 people over capacity at the time of the blaze, a fire official said.

"When I arrived, we analyzed the preliminary scene and saw that there was a 1,000 maximum capacity but we understood there were about 2,000 there," said Guido de Melo, a fire official.

The fire killed at least 245 people, many of whom apparently died from smoke inhalation, police said.

Follow complete coverage of breaking news on CNN TV, [www.cnn.com] and CNN Mobile.

Such a tragedy, my condolences to the families and friends.
What a waste, something that could have been easily prevented.

very very sad.
my condoleances to the people and families in Brazil

jeroen

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Edith Grove
A Brazilian nightclub where hundreds died in a fire Sunday was about 1,000 people over capacity at the time of the blaze, a fire official said.

"When I arrived, we analyzed the preliminary scene and saw that there was a 1,000 maximum capacity but we understood there were about 2,000 there," said Guido de Melo, a fire official.

Unacceptable.

Greedy owners maxing their cover charge take.

I've seen the news -A Great Tragedy!

It is very tragic.
The owners maxing their cover charge, and not taking measures banning flares. Criminal.

Some bars and nightclubs are deathtraps. They pack people in like sardines. I remember one place in New York City that was so packed it took me five minutes to walk twenty feet to get to the bathroom. How is that an enjoyable experience?

I'm afraid this is commonplace in Brailian nightclubs. Pam & I spend much of our time in N.E. Brazil and I've seen this sort of overcrowding in Fortaleza and I've been pretty worried sometimes, of course after a few drinks you don't worry as much but it can be very scary.
Condolensces to all those who've lost a loved one...we're thinking of you all.

Satisfied since 1976

it took me five minutes to walk twenty feet to get to the bathroom.

tough bladder ya got there Frankie boy .......



ROCKMAN

my condoleances to the families in Brazil

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boston2006
Similar situation as The Station Nightclub fire in RI a few years back .

[hereandnow.wbur.org]

That's what I was thinking as well. Eerie. Tragic.

As soon as I heard about this tragedy here in Brazil, another one came into my mind. It happened in 2004 in Buenos Aires, in very similar circunstances as it happened here.

At the República de Cromañon nightclub, a local band called Callejeros was playing, and one of the members set off a pyrotechnic flare and burned down the club.

In Brazil happened exactly the same, as the singer set off a pyrotechnic flare on stage.

[en.wikipedia.org]

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Cristiano Radtke
As soon as I heard about this tragedy here in Brazil, another one came into my mind. It happened in 2004 in Buenos Aires, in very similar circunstances as it happened here.

At the República de Cromañon nightclub, a local band called Callejeros was playing, and one of the members set off a pyrotechnic flare and burned down the club.

In Brazil happened exactly the same, as the singer set off a pyrotechnic flare on stage.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Cristiano, exactly the same came to my mind. In fact, unofortunately I was born and live in Buenos Aires....

It seems that we do not learn about our mistakes in history, particularly here in South America, where we don´t care about our lives. I guess that what ocurred there in Brazil, apart for the stupid action of that guy, is a consecuence of corruption and connivence between the owner of the building and the local government, which sould have not authorized that place for that quantity of people. The building had the back door closed to avoid people entering withoug tickets!!!! The same ocurred at the Republica de Cromañón in Buenos Aires!!!!!!!!!

It is not my intention to offend anyone who was born or live in South America, but come on!!! wake up!!!! wake up!!!! We cannot live the way we live!!!!!!!!!!!

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B-Flat

Cristiano, exactly the same came to my mind. In fact, unofortunately I was born and live in Buenos Aires....

It seems that we do not learn about our mistakes in history, particularly here in South America, where we don´t care about our lives. I guess that what ocurred there in Brazil, apart for the stupid action of that guy, is a consecuence of corruption and connivence between the owner of the building and the local government, which sould have not authorized that place for that quantity of people. The building had the back door closed to avoid people entering withoug tickets!!!! The same ocurred at the Republica de Cromañón in Buenos Aires!!!!!!!!!

It is not my intention to offend anyone who was born or live in South America, but come on!!! wake up!!!! wake up!!!! We cannot live the way we live!!!!!!!!!!!

You are absolutely right!

The nightclub had no license of the fire department, and there was only one door to let the people get out of there. In fact, what happened was that the boys from security didn't let anyone go out without pay their bills, because they thought the people was fighting there and wanted to go out without payment. It took several minutes until they realised the place was burning.

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sweetcharmedlife

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boston2006
Similar situation as The Station Nightclub fire in RI a few years back .

[hereandnow.wbur.org]

That's what I was thinking as well. Eerie. Tragic.

Bad enough to die from a fire caused by a pyrotechnics mishap at a rock show, but to die from a fire caused by a pyrotechnics mishap at a Great White show in 2002 really sucks.

if you go to one of thes "dives", always stand or sit by an exit

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21stcenturystones
if you go to one of thes "dives", always stand or sit by an exit

Yeah but quite the emergency exits are locked or blocked one way or another...

Tragic story with more than one way to point the blame.

RIP.
God Bless.

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dcba
This band won't play in Brazil soon...

How can you make a joke about 245 dead people?? and several other injured, absurd...

3 arrested in Brazilian nightclub fire, fourth sought


Firefighters work to douse a fire at the Kiss Club in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Firefighters say that the death toll from a fire that swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil has risen to 230. Officials say the fire broke out at the club while a band was performing. More than 200 people were also injured. (Photo by AP Photo/Agencia RBS)

By The Associated Press The Associated Press
on January 28, 2013 at 9:12 AM


SANTA MARIA, Brazil -- Brazilian police say they've made three arrests and are seeking a fourth person in connection with a nightclub fire that killed more than 230 people.

Inspector Ranolfo Vieira Junior said at a Monday press conference that the arrests are for investigative purposes. He says the detentions have five-day limits.

He declined to identify those arrested or the fourth person sought.

More than 230 people died early Sunday during the fire at a university party in southern Brazil. Police have said they think a band's pyrotechnics show ignited sound insulation on the ceiling, causing the blaze.

The Zero Hora newspaper quotes lawyer Jader Marques as saying his client Elissandro Spohr, a co-owner of the club, was arrested. The paper also says two band members were arrested.

Funerals began Monday in the city of Santa Maria, Brazil, where the blaze took place.

[www.nola.com]

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Edith Grove


By The Associated Press The Associated Press
on January 28, 2013 at 9:12 AM

When I saw The Eagles in the 90's, Don Henley dedicated Dirty Laundry to the AP, which he said stood for "Accuracy Problems"

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uhbuhgullayew

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Edith Grove


By The Associated Press The Associated Press
on January 28, 2013 at 9:12 AM

When I saw The Eagles in the 90's, Don Henley dedicated Dirty Laundry to the AP, which he said stood for "Accuracy Problems"

I'm not all so fond of the MSM either, but perhaps Henly has a person beef with the AP ?

Very Sad....

In Santa Maria, the local chief of police was interviewed. Suddenly, the cell phone rings with a familiar song to all of us.

[www.sbt.com.br]

Brazilian police say cheap fireworks to blame for fire

30 January 2013


The chief investigator in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria has said that cheap fireworks meant for outdoor use caused a deadly nightclub fire.

The death toll in Sunday's blaze reached 235 people after a 21-year-old man died of his injuries in hospital.

Beth McLeod reports.

Video here: [www.bbc.co.uk]

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Edith Grove
Brazilian police say cheap fireworks to blame for fire

30 January 2013


The chief investigator in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria has said that cheap fireworks meant for outdoor use caused a deadly nightclub fire.

The death toll in Sunday's blaze reached 235 people after a 21-year-old man died of his injuries in hospital.

Beth McLeod reports.

Video here: [www.bbc.co.uk]

If they used more expensive, more powerful fireworks, maybe all would have perished. Thankfully that did not happen.