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Three men arrested as investigation into Romanian club fire continues
By Chris Cooke | Published on Tuesday 3 November 2015
The three owners of the Romanian nightclub where a fire caused by pyrotechnics killed 31 people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, according to local prosecutors.
As previously reported, pyros used during a gig by Romanian metal band Goodbye To Gravity on Friday night set polystyrene décor alight, which in turn caused the venue’s ceiling to catch light. A panic then ensued, and as audience members attempted to flee the building they discovered that only one of the two exit doors would open. The death toll from the incident rose to 31 people yesterday, and local authorities worry it could as yet increase further.
Romania’s Interior Ministry has told reporters that it suspects the Colectiv Club was not licensed to stage gigs or pyrotechnic displays, while prosecutors are investigating why only one exit door was open, why so many people had been allowed into the venue that night, why flammable materials had been used to soundproof the building, and whose responsibility it was to insure the building.
The arrested owners of the Colectiv Club are yet to comment on Friday night’s incident, though according to the Associated Press the owners of three other nightclubs in Romania have admitted that they too failed to uphold safety standards in their venues. Those people have publicly apologised for their failings, with one admitting he had put thousands of lives in danger and another saying he had been “ignorant and irresponsible”.
Goodbye To Gravity guitarists Vlad Țelea and Mihai Alexandru were amongst those killed during the fire, while the other three members of the band were hospitalised by their injuries. Meanwhile tributes have been made to another drummer and a blogger/photographer who were in the audience – Adrian Rugina and Claudiu Petre respectively – who died after re-entering the club venue in a bid to save other concert-goers.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis awarded both men the National Order For Merit yesterday for “the courage, altruism and dedication they showed … trying to save lives, paying the supreme sacrifice”.
