Brazil firefighters accused of evading duty after deadly nightclub blaze
Nightclub fire resulted in death of 242 people
Brazilian police accused eight firefighters of dereliction of duty for their alleged failure to enforce fire codes at a nightclub where a blaze in January resulted in the deaths of 242 people, the Record TV network reported on Wednesday.
The accused, all men, were responsible for inspections of the Boate Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, a university town in Brazil’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The firemen were also responsible for making sure the club’s fire prevention and escape plans met local codes. Officials with Rio Grande do Sul’s state security secretariat, the agency responsible for the police investigation and the fire department, were not immediately available for comment.
News reports shortly after the fire showed that the club failed to meet many basic safety regulations that the fire department and city inspectors are charged with enforcing. The club did not have all the required licenses to operate.
Victims and their relatives consider the charges, most of which only carry prison terms of several months and demotion or expulsion from the force, too light, the G1 news service reported on its website.