Kiss Brazil Nightclub Fire; Law and Enforcement

Kiss Nightclub Santa Maria left to ashes in fire accident early this week
(source: guardian.co.uk).

Earlier this week, the entertainment industry was shocked with the fire blazed in the nightclub near Santa Maria, Brazil. The official said, until today there were 236 people killed, with another 126 people remain hospitalized and more than 70 are in critical conditions.

Location of Kiss Club in Santa Maria. Santa Maria is well known  as 'City of College' as there are  several colleges here. Most of the victims are students from nearby college. (source: mapsofworld.com)

The Brazilians gathered outside the Santa Maria Hospital on Tuesday where their family members are being treated. It is also confirmed that the skin donations have been requested to help in the treatments of survivors who sustained major burns.

Pictures show some of the spaces inside the club after the tragedy.
(source: guardian.co.uk and metro.co.uk)

It is believed that the fire caused by the accidentally lit up flare that been used by the performers on that night. According to the investigator, the fire ignited the overhead soundproofing that is made up from synthetic foam and within a minutes spreads toxic fumes throughout the hall.

More pictures show the nightclub after fire.
(source: concordmonitor.com and ctpost.com)

Sadly, most of the victims died within a seconds after inhaling the toxic fumes.

Currently, Brazilian Police and Local prosecutors and still investigating the factors that caused this high casualties accidents. Preliminary investigations came out stated some of the factors, that are;

1.  According to the original capacity, the club can only support up to 691 patrons but then on that night the people reach up to 1,200 to 1,300 patrons.

2. The flare lit purposely for outdoor use only not indoor. The price for that particular flare only $1.35, compared to the indoor use flare that is $35.

3. The fire extinguishers are malfunctioned. In preliminary report also stated that some of the extinguishers are fake.

4. There were neither an alarm nor sprinklers existed in the club.

5. There are only one emergency exit other than the main door. The main door are very narrow and dark and led to patrons stampede on each other to escapes. In Brasil, patrons are required to pay at the exit door after the event. There are some cases where the patrons are unable to escape after been detained by the bodyguard outside the club.

6. More than 50 victims found in bathroom. Investigator said, bathroom were the only place that produce lights during the accidents. Patrons mistakenly thought that light led to exit.

7. The authorities might be caught negligent; neglecting the safety requirement set for the  nightclub and other leisure spaces.

Some of the relatives mourning in front of the Nightclub. Casualty might increase, as there are several victims are in  severe injury. (source: thestar.my)

The disaster was worst of its kind within more than a decade. It raised the question on where is the safety standards and requirement of Brasil Government. As Brasil will hold the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, authorities need to ensure that the safety of all venues in the country are well prepared.   

References:
 The Guardian
 Reuters
 Huffington Post
 CNN
 BBC