Death Toll From Fire At Bucharest Metal Gig Rises As Thousands March In Protest

The death toll from a fire during a heavy metal show at Bucharest’s Colectiv nightclub on Friday has risen from 27 to 32 people, with thousands of Romanians marching to government headquarters to demand cabinet resignations. Three owners of Colectiv have also been arrested over suspicion of manslaughter charges.

As Reuters reports, Tuesday night 3rd November saw protestors chanting “murderers” as they demanded Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta and deputy prime minister Gabriel Oprea resign, along with Cristian Popescu Piedone, the mayor of Bucharest’s fourth district, where Colectiv is located.

Some Romanians have blamed local authorities for inadequately inspecting clubs and public spaces, and have been expressing their frustrations on social media using the hashtag #CorruptionKills.

More protests are reportedly being organised for the coming days, with estimates putting Tuesday’s march at around 15,000 people.

A Bucharest court is still deciding whether to grant prosecutors 30-day arrest warrants for club owners Costin Mincu, Alin George Anastasescu and Paul Gancea, who were taken into custody on Monday.

The fire at Colectiv reportedly began when fireworks set off inside the club led insulating foam to ignite on a pillar, with flames quickly engulfing the venue as a stampede formed towards the exit. Nearly 200 people were injured in the incident, and 32 have now been confirmed dead.

Prosecutors say they can prove that the fire was due to venue management allowing too many people into the space. “Data and evidence… have shown the fire occurred because the people managing the respective space encouraged and allowed a number of people above the club’s limit in a space that was not endowed with more emergency exits,” they say (Via The Guardian).

Prosecutors also believe the owners allowed “a fireworks show in the indoor venue that was improper as it… contained easily flammable materials illegally installed to avoid additional costs”.

Thousands of locals marched through the city on Sunday, 1st November, while Monday night saw hundreds of people gather outside Colectiv to light candles and lay flowers in remembrance.

More than 130 people injured in the fire were still in hospital on Monday, with more than half in a critical condition, doctors said.

Romania’s government passed legislation on Tuesday which would allow the country’s emergency response authority to immediately shut venues which don’t have permits or don’t respect safety measures.

Catch footage from yesterday’s protest, below.