Five years after Cromagnon rock concert fire

Today,  December 30, marks the fifth anniversary of the ‘Cromagnon tragedy’ of , where 194 people were killed when the place burned down during a concert.

In memory of those who died that fateful night at six o’clock in the afternoon, a ceremony will take place in the Plaza de Mayo. An hour later at the Metropolitan Cathedral will a Mass will be presided by Cardinal Bergoglio.

Then there will be a march to Miserere Square, a few hundred feet from where tragedy took place. There, at 10 pm a second ceremony will start, which will continue until the hour of the tragedy, marked at 10:55 pm.

Cromagnon was a nightclub/concert venue located in the neigbourhood of Once, in the City of Buenos Aires. It was tragically known because of massive fire that began the night of December 30, 2004 when rock band ‘Callejeros’ was playing, 194 died and more than 1400 were injured.

Four of the six doors, some of which were fire exits, were chained shut so that “people would not enter without paying”, according to Mayor Aníbal Ibarra.

Most of the victims died from inhaling poisonous gases, smoke and carbon monoxide, unlike most accidents of this kind, where most die from crushing or burning.