Brazil Nightclub Fire - 245 Killed in Santa Maria

	Brazil Nightclub Fire - 245 Killed in Santa Maria SAO PAOLO: In a horrific tragedy that would raise serious questions about public safety in Brazil, some 245 people — mostly teenagers — were killed and around 200 injured in an inferno that swept through a nightclub, Kiss, in Santa Maria, a small city in Rio Grande do Sul, the prosperous southern state which shares its border with Argentina and Uruguay. This appears to be the deadliest nightclub fire since 2000 anywhere in the world. The inferno started during the fireworks show when a band was playing in the club on Saturday night. As fireworks hit the ceiling of the club, packed with 2000 teenagers enjoying a Saturday night party, the soundproofing material made of foam caught fire and within minutes the club was engulfed in huge flames and thick smoke, with most young boys and girls being asphyxiated or trampled to death. The fire was so intense that fire crews had to knocked down a wall to enter the premises and help those trapped inside escape. Major Gerson da Rosa Ferreira, overseeing rescue efforts at the scene for the military police, told reporters in Santa Maria that 189 bodies had already been identified and removed from the nightclub. But the firefighters were still looking for more bodies in the burnt-down club. While most people escaped unhurt, according to officials in Santa Maria, more than 200 are being treated in hospitals in the region, the condition of at least eight people is said to be very serious. The firefighters said the fatalities happened due <b>...</b>	From: NewsLlVE Views: 13 0 ratings
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