The death
toll following a fire a nightclub in Romania's capital has risen to 44.
Anti-governement protests continued over the weekend on a smaller scale,
despite Prime Minister Victor Ponta's resignation.
Deutsche Welle, 8 Nov 2015
The
director of Romania's burns hospital in Floreasca, Cristian Nitescu, said on
Sunday that most recent deaths were as a result of burns-related injuries. Some
of them had been transferred to the Netherlands for treatment.
"The
next seven days will be the most difficult with regards to treating the
wounded," Health Minister Nicolae Banicioiu said on Saturday.
"We
welcome any help, any medical teams coming from abroad," Banicioiu added.
A fire
broke out at a club, the "Collectiv" nightclub in Bucharest, last Friday after fireworks were let off during a band's performance. The
pyrotechnics set fire to flammable sound insulation, triggering a stampede as
revelers ran to the sole exit. In addition to the deaths, some 180 people were
injured - many with severe burns.
Romanian
authorities have since detained the nightclub's three bosses on manslaughter
charges. The trio had no authorization to hold either concerts or pyrotechnic
shows.
Mass
protests
The blaze
sparked mass anti-government protests in Romania, with many demonstrators
saying that the sub-standard safety measures at the club reflect the country's
wider corruption concerns.
Romanian
Prime Minister Victor Ponta - who is currently on trial facing corruption charges - stood down with his cabinet on Wednesday.
Christian
Popescu Piedone, the district mayor of Budapest's Sector 4 also resigned,
saying he was "morally guilty" for the disaster.
ksb/rc (AFP, AP)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.