Nightclub fire in Brazil: 245 people dead, and counting

[killer_carlson]

Horrific story out of southern Brazil.

University starts up again in Brazil next week, so it was a big night out. 2000 to 3000 people at the club. A fire started at a packed nightclub. 245 dead, 200 injured, count still rising. Pretty gruesome details and photos. Tragedy.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/27/world/...html?hpt=hp_t1

Some suggestion the band lit fireworks or a flare which started a fire on the ceiling which spread quickly. Fire department and people who escaped had to take axes to the walls from the outside to try and get in to get people out.

[Brannigans Law]

Double the capacity were allowed in? The owners and bouncers should all do serious jail time.

[FlamesAddiction]

Over double capacity, no exit signs, alcohol, pyrotechnics, flammable anti-accoutic foam... someone is in a lot of trouble.

[Northendzone]

This sounds like the same as that tragedy in the us a number of urease ago. I ca!n't recall which band, but they set off pyrotechnics in a place with a low ceiling.

[Acey]

^ 2003,Great White at The Station in Rhode Island.

[Canuck-Hater]

"Some suggestion the band lit fireworks or a flare which started a fire on the ceiling which spread quickly" Idiots.

[RedMileDJ]

CNN reports that the number has been revised to 232.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/27/world/...html?hpt=hp_t1

Absolutely crazy.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Over double capacity, no exit signs, alcohol, pyrotechnics, flammable anti-accoutic foam... someone is in a lot of trouble.

It's Brazil. It's a bit of a different world over there when it comes to safety standards. Hopefully this will help change that.

[GirlySports]

There was one in Russia a few years ago that killed over 100 IIRC.

[Flames_Gimp]

apparently the idiots locked the door to stop people from leaving without paying for their drinks. Most of the bodies were stacked up against that door

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

apparently the idiots locked the door to stop people from leaving without paying for their drinks. Most of the bodies were stacked up against that door

I'd need to read this from a source before I believe it.

[jtfrogger]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

I'd need to read this from a source before I believe it.

Have you read the article?

"Some guards thought at first that it was a fight, a huge fight that happened inside the club and closed the doors so that the people could not leave without paying their bills from the club," Fernandes said.

Although the article says that a majority of the people were found in or near the bathroom:

Valderci Oliveira, a state lawmaker, told Band News that he saw piles of bodies in the club's bathroom when he arrived at the scene hours after the blaze. It looked "like a war zone," he said.
Police told Band News that 90% of the victims were found in that part of the club.

[Flames_Gimp]

report i read said most bodies were "stacked" at the door and that 15 bodies were in the washroom

[Sylvanfan]

Actually at Brazillian night clubs you are issued a paper card when you enter, and you use the card to order any drinks instead of paying cash. At the end of the night you have to go to a cashier to pay the balance on the card so you can leave. Often clubs have a minimum charge of 10 to 15 Reals, and you pay that if you don't have anything. if you lose the card it's a minimum of 100 reals. So rather than pay cover up front, it's paid atthe end ofthe night instead.

I remember a guy in Rio who's credit card wouldn't work and he didn't have enough cash. Between about 5 of us we scraped up enough to pay his 60 Real tab and than had to convince a cab driver to get us back where we were staying for the 7 we had left. But they won't let you out if you can't pay your card.

I guess the theory is that the bar tenders can work quicker not having to do more than fill out a card. People probably spend more too....it's like leaving your credit card with the bar tender. But in a situation like this where people want to get out at once it becomes a problem.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

But they won't let you out if you can't pay your card.

I don't understand - if you can't pay, how do you ever leave then? Could you be stuck in there for days?

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

I don't understand - if you can't pay, how do you ever leave then? Could you be stuck in there for days?

I would guess that their first option is to get you to make someone else pay (ie call someone to come and get you out). But yeah until they get something from you...they'll hold you hostage and before they let you go they likely cease something from you as collateral like a drivers license/credit card/passport and take down all your personal info. I was always able to pay my card, so I really don't know what they do to those who can't. Basically moral of the story, be able to pay your tab at the end of the night or face Brazillian justice.

But in the case of a mad rush of people to the door when the security does not know what happened. I can see why they would initially think it's a mass exit of people looking to avoid paying their tab cards.

[polak]

So the max they make you pay if you lose your card is $50??

Thats ridiculously cheap.

[CaptainCrunch]

sounds like the license for this club hadn't been renewed nor the fire plan.

These owners are in big trouble.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by polak

So the max they make you pay if you lose your card is $50??

Thats ridiculously cheap.

\

No, it's the minimum, and it may be higher depending on the club. Keep in mind these cards don't allow you to buy an infinite number of drinks either. Basically the lost card charge is equal to what a full card costs. If you fill up your card, you have to go pay it off, and get them to issue you a second card if you want to keep going. So it's not like you can rack up $500 of drinks and than get off for $50.