At least 25 killed in Romanian nightclub fire
October 30, 2015
Romanian government officials said on Friday night that at least 25 people were killed in a nightclub blast, with at least 150 people injured.
"So far, 88 people have been taken to several hospitals in the capital. Twenty-five people are dead," Romania's interior ministry said in a statement.
The death toll is likely to climb throughout the night, adding that the club was hosting a rock concert with up to 400 attendees, said Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat
"It is a tragedy without precedent and it is an intervention without precedent" Arafat said.
'Sad day for us all'
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said he expresses "deep sorrow for the tragic events that happened today," in a statement on his Facebook page.
"It's a very sad day for us all, for our nation and for me personally," Klaus said. He is considering declaring a day of national mourning in the wake of the tragedy.
Officials have yet to provide a reason for the blast and the fire that ensued, although the interior ministry said authorities will launch an investigation to discover the source of the blast.
Meanwhile, EFE news agency reported that the club prepared a show filled with pyrotechnic effects for the launch of the Romanian musical "Goodbye to Graviti."
ls/bw (Reuters, EFE, AFP)