Romania’s investigation of the Colectiv club tragedy unveils new irregularities

The experts who have been investigating the causes of the Colectiv club tragedy in Romania, which killed 63 people at the end of last year, have found new irregularities that contributed to the amplitude of the disaster, according to Digi 24 news station. According to the technical expertise, the firm that took care of the club’s revamping used inadequate materials that weren’t fireproof. It covered the club’s walls with polyurethane insulation, which is flammable, instead of using antiphonal foam. However, the construction company charged the club’s owners as if it had purchased the antiphonal foam, according to the invoices. The investigators also found that the ventilation equipment in the club had been improperly placed, and this is what caused the fire spread faster. The technical report also shows that the electrical wiring was also inadequately installed. The Colectiv club burned on October 30 during a rock concert. Close to 400 people were in the club that night, way above its maximum capacity. The fire killed 26 people on the spot, and 37 more died in hospitals afterwards. More than 100 others were injured. The tragedy unveiled a long string of irregularities and led to Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s resignation, after street protests. Bucharest’s District 4 mayor Cristian Popescu Piedone also resigned and the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) prosecuted him for the way local authorities had issued the functioning permit for the club. The club’s owners and two fire safety inspectors, who had failed to report the safety issues at Colectiv club, have also been investigated and prosecuted. Romanian experts recreate the Colectiv club fire, as part of the criminal investigation editor@romania-insider.com