Brazilian nightclub fire kills more than 200: police

Hundreds of friends and relatives of the victims of a major nightclub fire gathered in southern Brazil Sunday to identify the bodies of their lost loved ones.

In Santa Maria, a city of more than 275,000 people, rescue workers and weary officials wept alongside family and friends of the victims at a local gymnasium being used as a makeshift morgue. By early Sunday evening, the death
toll had climbed to at least 232.

The blaze in the university town was started by a band member or someone from its production team igniting a flare, which then set fire to the ceiling, according to local police.

Local fire officials said at least one exit was locked and that bouncers, who at first thought those fleeing were trying to skip out on bar tabs, initially blocked patrons from leaving. The security staff relented only when they saw flames engulfing the ceiling.

Brazil’s Minister for Human Rights, Maria do Rosario, was in Santa Maria to follow the situation, and told reporters the government was doing everything in its power to ease the pain for the relatives of the victims.

“All the support the families might need, any type support at all, be it at the federal or state level, I’m sure the mayors in the region (will provide it). We are available to help with any need presented by the families,
because it’s all we can do to say we’re family at this painful time. That was the message President Rousseff left when she came to Santa Maria, after leaving Santiago do Chile,” she said.

The vast majority of the victims, most of them university students, died of smoke inhalation, officials said. Others were crushed in the stampede.