| December 31st, 2004 08:03 AM |
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| Madafaka |
Argentina Club Fire Kills at Least 174
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- A fire that raced through a packed Buenos Aires nightclub during a rock concert killed at least 174 concert-goers and injured about 410, and investigators were looking into survivor accounts that the building's emergency exits were locked.
Grieving parents crowded the city's morgues to identify the dead - many of them teenagers - after the blaze swept through the club in the Argentine capital late Thursday, setting off a stampede for the emergency exits, witnesses said.
The fire unleashed thick clouds of black smoke, choking many inside and blocking out emergency lighting, survivors said. After the blaze was brought under control Friday morning, rescue workers turned a nearby parking lot into a temporary morgue, lining up dozens of bodies whose faces were covered by T-shirts.
"You couldn't see anything, the air was thick with smoke," said one survivor who identified himself only as Juan.
"People were pushing and jumping over each other trying to get out," another concert-goer, Jose Maria Godoy, said. "It was like a human wave. As people fell down running for the door, others just simply ran over them or pushed them down."
City officials said it wasn't immediately clear what caused the fire, but several survivors said they saw a flare hit a foam lining on the roof of the concert hall, triggering a fire.
Flares are often lit by fans attending rock concerts in Argentina, which are frequently rowdy and punctuated by fireworks set off by people in the crowd.
"Someone from the crowd tossed a flare and there were immediately flames," said Fabian Zamudeo, a 22-year-old in the crowd to see a popular Argentine rock band, Los Callejeros.
"Parts of the roof started falling down in flames and people started running, knocking over the speakers and light stands," he added. "People were choking on smoke and I tried to push as many people out as I could."
In a 2003 nightclub fire in West Warwick, R.I., that killed 100 people, U.S. authorities said the blaze began when sparks from a band's pyrotechnics ignited highly flammable foam that was used in the club as soundproofing.
Argentine authorities said they would investigate allegations by survivors that some people found the building's emergency doors locked as they tried to flee the blaze.
Overnight, relatives gathered outside Buenos Aires hospitals, seeking information about missing loved ones. Hospital officials shouted out the names of the injured as large crowds swarmed hospital entrances.
Minutes after the fire broke out, shirtless concert-goers charged out of the building, many carrying people on the shoulders or grouped to help ferry to safety.
Alfredo Stein, an official in the Buenos Aires health department, told reporters at least 174 had been killed and more than 410 people injured.
Many of the dead were believed to have suffered from smoke inhalation, said Mariano Tili, a Buenos Aires city official helping in the rescue effort.
Hundreds of bystanders and relatives stood outside the building as rescue workers carried the wounded away on stretchers. Others could be seen treating the injured on the street in front of the Republica de la Cromagnon disco - or Cromagnon Republic disco - which is popular with teenagers.
As firefighters battled the flames, some kids - many dazed and covered in soot - lingered outside the building after rushing out, screaming out the names of friends, hoping to find them.
Ambulances packed with six or seven people deep ferried the injured to hospitals and officers converted police vans into makeshift ambulances as the number of injured and dead rose.
Streets outside the nightclub in downtown Buenos Aires were lined with stray pairs of tennis shoes and strewn with blackened clothes - remains of a chaotic scene that saw hordes of people barreling their way out of the building.
Argentine media reported as many 1,500 people were believed to have been in the building at the time, with some saying the amount could be almost twice as much.
"This is a true disaster ... particularly with some many young people and kids inside," said Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez.
The fire was the worst in South America since a blaze swept a Paraguayan supermarket in August, killing 399 people in an Asuncion suburb. Authorities later said the doors were ordered shut by the store's owners to prevent looting, trapping people inside.
NY Post: http://breakingnews.nypost.com/dynamic/stories/A/ARGENTINA_NIGHTCLUB_FIRE?SITE=NYNYP&SECTION=HOME
"Callejeros" is a R n' R band who plays what in Argentina is called "Stone Rock" because they play in the same way that RS and the crowd who go to see them, is the same.
Really a sad end of year.
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| December 31st, 2004 09:24 AM |
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| Gazza |
Fuckin' hell. It gets worse... |
| December 31st, 2004 09:39 AM |
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| FotiniD |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
Fuckin' hell. It gets worse...
Only a few hours left, and the sickest year of the past decade (at least) will come to an end.
Here's to a good, healthy and safe 2005. |
| December 31st, 2004 09:47 AM |
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| Moonisup |
it's a strange year |
| December 31st, 2004 10:40 AM |
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| gustavobala |
crist...
god bless... |
| December 31st, 2004 10:43 AM |
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| jb |
My sincerest sympathies to those of you in Argentina..it seems like one tragedy after another. |
| December 31st, 2004 11:25 AM |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
This is very sad, not just for the victims as well apparently we missed regulars from the Spanish forum according to Marcelo Quatraro the main webmaster there. "Los Callejeros" is a rock band similar to the Stones and in the news you can see fans wearing the Stones tongue t-shirt, but regardless of this RIP the victims but not the responsible (please read irresponsible) people this stinks
If you read Spanish check this thread http://www.rocksoff.org/foro/viewtopic.php?t=1491
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| December 31st, 2004 12:25 PM |
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| Soldatti |
"Los Callejeros" (Street Man) is one of the 4 or 5 most popular "Stones" groups in Argentina and ALL his fans are Stones fans. This is a tragedy for all of us, god bless the kids and his families. |
| December 31st, 2004 12:35 PM |
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| LadyJane |
I'm with Fotini...good riddance to 2004!!.
I'm out of tears. WTF is going on? Is my Dad right? He thinks the end of the world is rapidly approaching.
My thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and their families and friends.
LJ. |
| December 31st, 2004 12:52 PM |
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| gypsy |
Good riddance to 2004. |
| December 31st, 2004 01:11 PM |
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| Madafaka |
Yeah LJ., the sadness has no end. Buenos Aires is strangly calm, as the silence after the hurricane.
When tonight we drink, we will look at the sky and will drink to them also.
Really I hate this year, thankfully still has a few hours of life. |
| December 31st, 2004 03:06 PM |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Condolences to the families of those kindred spirits from Argentina who will hear the music no more.
I hope they all got front row center in Rock n Roll heaven. |
| December 31st, 2004 03:53 PM |
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| thejuf |
my heart goes out to everyone involved .
it is so sad....
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| December 31st, 2004 04:05 PM |
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| Poplar |
Could have been worse. They could have been listening to Great White.
prayers all around at the end of 2004. Good grief.
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| December 31st, 2004 04:53 PM |
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| kath |
i hope nobody "we know" was there...what a terrible end to a really crappy year.
everywhere there is sadness right now.....may the new year bring some well deserved relief to those most affected by all this...... |
| January 2nd, 2005 11:46 AM |
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| Martha |
:-(
Oh no. Not again. How awful.
My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has been touched by this horrible tragedy.
I pray that 2005 will be a year of peace for everyone.
Yes, I know I have big hopes and dreams....but we've got to start somewhere. As they say in my 12-step recovery meetings....Let it begin with me! :-)
peace,
Martha
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| January 2nd, 2005 12:00 PM |
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| Lil Brian |
Here's hoping 2005 is a better year for our sad old world. |
| January 2nd, 2005 12:21 PM |
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| Madafaka |
Thanks to all for your words, they are very valued.
Number of victims has increased 182. Sad news.
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| January 2nd, 2005 02:12 PM |
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| kath |
what a senseless, totally avoidable tragedy. i just read that they had a "nursery" set up in one of the bathrooms....so a lot of little tiny kids were killed too. and the asshole owner had padlocked the exits....(people "sneaking in")
jeeezuz......
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| January 2nd, 2005 03:17 PM |
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| Madafaka |
Yeah Kath, sad but true.
The emergency exits were closed by padlocks and chains.
Anyway, I don't know what kind of stupid person might leave your own son in a child-care improvised inside the women's bath. Besides this, the place was enabled for 1000 persons and in the concert there were more than 3000 persons.
Tomorrow in the morning the local owner will be judged. There we'll see what will happen, and will see if in spite of living in a country of the third world, the justice exists. |
| January 2nd, 2005 04:30 PM |
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| kath |
well, the owner should be dragged through the streets....i know when i used to go clubbin', i always wanted to be close to an exit...but i made sure they weren't locked. it's amazing how many places do this....they say "oh, we'd unlock it in an emergency"...
yeah, right.
i saw that there were well over 3 times the number of people in the people as was deemed safe...we've all been there, too.
it could have been any of us. |
| January 2nd, 2005 04:37 PM |
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| Rolling Hansie |
Very sad story indeed. Too many people died again. My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and the families. |
| January 2nd, 2005 10:38 PM |
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| Soldatti |
Thanks to all the people for the good words, we are all suporting his families. |
| January 3rd, 2005 06:25 AM |
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| glencar |
Terrible news. Argentina has been through a lot & this is most awful. May all the victims rest in peace. |
| January 3rd, 2005 08:02 AM |
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| Factory Girl |
Very sad news. May all the victims rest in peace... |
| January 3rd, 2005 11:19 PM |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
Now they want to blame the kid who started the fire!!! Shame on them... but poor boy even if he's found innocent just the fact that he's on the news as the "serial killer" will affect him for the rest of his days
Blame the bastards who locked the club!
Shit! |
| January 4th, 2005 12:36 AM |
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| Madafaka |
The owner and the Buenos Aires' Major are involved. This city needs justice asap! |
| January 5th, 2005 12:09 AM |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
 |
| January 5th, 2005 12:18 AM |
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| Madafaka |
Thank you Gerardo.
Sadly, number of victims has increased 185. |
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