Bucharest Fire Nightclub Owners Arrested On Manslaughter Charges

The owners of the Bucharest nightclub that caught fire and killed 31 individuals and injured nearly 200 others have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. The blaze set in the Romanian nightclub Colectiv caught fire when a heavy metal band Goodbye to Gravity were performing and pyrotechnics ignited flammable foam insulation next to the stage. The death toll was initially 27, but has risen to 31 with many individuals inside sustaining very serious injuries and still others remain in hospitals in critical condition for smoke inhalation and stampede-related injuries.

Bucharest prosecutors have accused the owners, Costin Mincu, Alin George Anastasescu and Paul Ganceo of not maintaining a safe environment in the venue. Authorities say that Colectiv was well over capacity and only had one exit for the nearly 400 people inside. Once the door was opened, a rush of oxygen only made the fire worse.

"Data and evidence ... have shown the fire occurred because the people managing the respective space encouraged and allowed a number of people above the club's limit in a space that was not endowed with more emergency exits," prosecutors said via The Guardian. "A fireworks show in the indoor venue that was improper as it ... contained easily flammable materials illegally installed to avoid additional costs."

The blaze has sparked a wave of other closings in the city by venues who have vowed to renovate their space in an attempt to make them safer. Some of these moves, which seem logical and should have been implemented from the start, include sprinklers and installing non-flammable insulation.

In addition to the moves being made by locals in Bucharest, others in the music industry are taking a stand. International touring DJ Markus Schulz announced that he would no longer have pyro at his club shows and encouraged all other members of the industry to make the same pledge.