Fire, a crush, a locked main exit (at least 175 killed in nightclub fire)

[Wonk]

edit: whoops, dupe, sorry mods
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1112615



At least 175 killed, 700 hurt in packed Argentina nightclub

By Monte Reel, Washington Post  |  January 1, 2005

BUENOS AIRES -- The last thing Dario Gonzalez saw clearly was three blazing flares that shot toward the ceiling of the crowded nightclub.

The next 30 minutes unfolded in a chaotic, suffocating fog, he recounted. Black smoke obscured his vision, burning fragments of the ceiling scorched the skin of his forearm, and bodies crushed against him from all sides.

Gonzalez, 22, was among those fortunate enough to escape alive from the Republica Cromagnon club in Buenos Aires on Thursday night, when a fire during a jammed indoor rock concert killed at least 175 and injured 700. Yesterday, he was among the thousands who held grim vigils at hospitals, morgues, and municipal offices, hoping to get information about friends and relatives who were missing.

Witnesses said the blaze began after concertgoers set off fireworks inside the two-level club, igniting the ceiling and triggering a stampede as people confronted a locked main exit door while they struggled to flee. Officials said yesterday that the door had been wired shut by club staff to prevent people from entering without tickets.

more...
http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2005/01/01/fire_a_crush_a_locked_main_exit/

Good for business, I guess, or something, to lock the doors :eyes: