Romania’s Prime Minister has decreed three days of mourning starting immediately for the victims of a nightclub fire and stampede.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta cut short a visit to Mexico to return to Bucharest after a fire broke out on late Friday in a nightclub in Bucharest, killing 27 and injuring 180. Officials expect the death toll to rise in what is the worst disaster of its kind ever in Romania.
Some 146 people remain hospitalised, some in critical condition suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
Survivors of a deadly nightclub fire and stampede in Romania say the lead singer of the heavy metal band on stage at first made a joke about the fire before it engulfed the basement club in downtown Bucharest.
Hundreds of young people had gone clubbing at the hip Colectiv nightclub last night to enjoy a free concert by the Goodbye to Gravity metal band. The evening ended in horror, as the inferno caused a panic that left 27 people dead and 180 injured.
The Government on Saturday announced three days of mourning for the victims.
Raed Arafat, an emergency situations official, said 17 of those who died still have not been identified and he feared that others would die of their injuries. As of early Saturday, at least 146 people were still hospitalised around the capital, many with serious injuries.
TV stations posted a number for families to call to find out about the tragedy, the worst of its kind in Romania’s history. Witnesses told Antena 3 TV that between 300 to 400 mostly young people had been at the club, housed in a former factory, when a pyrotechnical show went awry. They said there was only one exit.
Club-goers told Digi 24 television that a spark on stage ignited some polystyrene decor. Photos posted on social media appeared to show a flame emanating from a pillar covered in foam insulation as those in the audience applauded the band.