Tragedy in Brazil disc left over a hundred dead

January 26, 2013
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At least 137 people died Sunday in a fire in a nightclub in the state of Santa Maria, in southern Brazil.

According to an official source quoted by Reuters: “The figure could exceed two hundred.”

According to police: “Between 300 and 400 people, mostly teenagers, were inside the disco ‘Kiss’ at the time of the fire, which began at 2:00 am in the morning.”

The commanding general of the Fire Brigade, Colonel Guido de Melo reported that: “Fire-fighters are looking for more victims and we can not specify the exact number of deaths. Most of the dead were suffocated. There was panic and ended up trampling each other.”

The Delegate of the Civil Police, Meinerz Sandro said: “The fire, according to initial investigations, could have started in the roof of the club as a result of a firecracker thrown by the band that played at that time, and that ignited soundproofing foam that surrounded the stage.”

The immediate evacuation of the place was hindered by the existence of a single emergency exit. Fire-fighters were forced to make a hole in a wall to reach the people more quickly.

Two trucks carried the bodies to the Sports Center Santa Maria, which was isolated by the military brigade to prevent the invasion of family and friends. The first truck took 67 bodies and the second took 70 bodies.

The exact number of victims, however, is still unknown. The fire was controlled around 5:30, but at 7:00 there were teams in place, doing the work of the aftermath.