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Brazil mourns for victims of nightclub fire
Brazil continued to mourn the loss of 233 lives in a horrific fire at a nightclub in the southern city of Santa Maria.
As many as 116 people were injured in the blaze; many of them are fighting for their life in the local hospitals.
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Brazil mourns for victims of nightclub fire
Santa Maria is a major university town and most of the victims were college students.
Most of the victims died of smoke inhalation, said authorities. A large number of people were also trampled during the stampede to rush out of the nightclub after the fire broke out.
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Brazil mourns for victims of nightclub fire
Some locals who had visited the night club earlier said that the exit signs on the door were not visible in the dark.
The fire started at 2 am local time at the Kiss nightclub. According to reports, the fire broke out when a band was performing inside the club, along with a pyrotechnic show.
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Brazil mourns for victims of nightclub fire
One of the members of the band lit a flare during the performance, setting the ceiling on fire by mistake.
The fire spread across the nightclub within minutes, said survivors.
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Brazil mourns for victims of nightclub fire
Some survivors claimed that guards at the club had locked the emergency exit doors as they did not want people to leave without paying for their drinks.
The metallic barriers outside the club, meant to keep the entrants in a single line, also prevented people from leaving quickly.
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Brazil mourns for victims of nightclub fire
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who was in Chile to attend the Europe-Latin America summit, cut short her visit.
She reached Santa Maria on Monday and the survivors and family members of the deceased victims.
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Brazil mourns for victims of nightclub fire
The shocked nation called off an event to start the 500-day countdown to the foortball World Cup tournament next year.
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