Investigations and dismissals after deadly fire at guesthouse in Romania

Romania's Department for Emergency Situations, or DSU, recently announced that it will notify the prosecutor's office regarding the checks made by the Prahova County Emergency Situations Inspectorate in 2019 at the Ferma Dacilor guesthouse in Gura Vadului. The guesthouse burned down on Christmas, killing seven people. Additionally, the head of the Prevention Inspection within the ISU Prahova was dismissed.

DSU teams looked into the checks carried out by the Inspectorate in 2019 at the guesthouse. The conclusions of the analysis were presented to the secretary of state in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Dr. Raed Arafat. The official ordered the removal of the head of the Prevention Inspection within ISU Prahova. DSU also notified prosecutors regarding some aspects resulting from the analysis that may be criminal in nature.

In 2019, a party was organized at the guesthouse by the leadership of the Prahova County Emergency Situations Inspectorate. The same guesthouse was fined for operating without a fire permit a year later. In March 2023, prosecutors within the National Anticorruption Directorate closed a file concerning how Ferma Dacilor operated without a fire safety permit, according to information obtained by G4Media. After the fire on Christmas, ISU Prahova officially announced that a thorough check was carried out at Ferma Dacilor in 2019, identifying 6 irregularities, one of which was remedied during the control, and 6 warnings were issued.

Opposition MPs accuse local and state officials, as well as the governing Social Democrats, of allowing the establishment to function without a permit for years. They also allege that the owner of the guesthouse had political connections that allowed him to circumvent regulations.

Seven people, including at least one child, died in a massive fire that engulfed the Ferma Dacilor guesthouse in Tohani, Prahova County, on Christmas. Most of the guests were young.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Bogdan Buda)