SANTA MARIA, BRAZIL—Four people in Brazil have been charged with manslaughter in connection with the deaths of 241 people in The Kiss nightclub fire a few months ago. Police inquiries found that the fire was triggered by fireworks that had been used by the band.
Most of the victims died after inhaling toxic smoke that had been produced when the ceiling insulation foam caught fire. Investigators also found fault in the fact that the venue only had one exit.
Sixteen people were accused, and only eight have been charged with manslaughter.
Two firemen were accused for obstructing the course of justice for hiding evidence that the club’s fire license had expired.
Nightclub owners Mauro Hoffman and Elissandro Spohr and two members of the Gurizada Fandangueira band face trial for manslaughter.
The prosecutor claims that the men knew of the impacts of their actions and simply failed through the act.
“The reason they died was the search for profit,” the prosecutor stated, “through the use of inadequate fireworks and highly inflammable foam on the nightclub’s ceiling.”
By: Julia Roake
Source: BBC
Image: BBC
3 April 2013
09:00am PDT