232 Die in Brazil's Club Fire
Published: 27 January 2013                           By Abiodun Giwa

A scene at Kiss Night Club's Fire (Courtesy:FoxNews)

  Fire at Kiss Night Club in Santa Maria, Brazil, has claimed 232 lives early on Sunday, with
cause tentatively linked to pyrotechnics, resultant fire, smoke and asphyxiation. About 245
was earlier feared dead before the authority rendered an official figure.
  The region's coordinator of civil defense, Col. Adilomar Silva told the media that the death
toll from the fire may increase as bodies are still being recovered after the fire.
   Band News aired in Brazil's Rio Grande Sul State described the fire as the worst tragedy
ever in the country.
  Rescuers were seen carrying human bodies on the streets, while some bodies were laid on
the floor with clothes off from the upper body. The morgue in the city is reported to have
been filled and a temporary morgue created to take care of corpses.
  Brazil's president, Dilma Rousseff, in Chile attending a regional conference was expected
in Rio Grande do Sul, the state government said.
  From 2003 to 2013, fire in night clubs has claimed more than 600 lives, beginning with the
2003 fire The Station Club in Rhodes Island with 100 casualties; floowed in 2004 fire in
Cromagnon Republic Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina with 194 deaths, followed by fire at
Lame Horse Club in Russia with another 150 deaths and in San Tika Club,Bangkok,
Thailand with 66 deaths.
   There was a night club fire in 1942 at Cocoanut Grove, Boston that claimed 492 lives;1970
at Club 5-7, St. Laurent-du-pont, France, 146 lives, 1977 witnessed a fire Beverly Hills Super,
Kentucky that claimed 165 lives and in 1996 another fire claimed 160 lives at Ozone Disco
Club, Quezo City, Phillipines.
   Altogether since 1942, more than 1000 lives have been lost to club fire.
   It is manifest from historical perspective that club fires are fatal and not devoid of human
casualties. The irony is that these clubs are places of entertainment, where people go for
relaxation, listen to music and dancing or watch people dancing, radiating joy. Often, as
noted, this joy had more than necessary turned into sorrow.
   People are now asking what  to do to stop fire and deaths in night clubs. Some reports are
describing the Kiss Club's exit too narrow for the mammoth crowd; others are reporting
that the maximum crowd for the club is 1000 and how has it managed to occupy 2000? 
  And FIFA has reportedly cancelled the 500 days to go to the world cup ceremony in the
country, but expressed full confidence in Brazilian authority's security plans for the 2014
world cup.
 Three days of national mourning has been declared for those who have lost their lives in
fire.
 

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