Death toll rises to 39 in Romanian nightclub fire

Seven more people died of burn-related injuries Saturday, just over a week after a fire broke out in a Bucharest nightclub, authorities said, raising the death toll to 39. Flames spread quickly through the crowded basement club, trapping many and triggering a stampede, making it the deadliest nightclub blaze in Romanian history. Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced his resignation on Wednesday in the wake of massive demonstrations that demanded political responsibility for the tragedy.

On Saturday, anti-corruption prosecutors said the Mayor of Bucharest, Cristian Popescu Piedone has been taken into custody.

The fire broke out late on 30 October during a rock concert at the nightclub.

Six more blaze victims are still being treated in Dutch burn units, and are said to be in a serious condition. To help make this possible, the Romanian Ministry of Defence has offered hospitals access to their transportation planes, which can then be used to take the victims to hospitals situated in other countries, safely.

The four others, badly burned and suffering from respiratory problems, succumbed to their injuries in hospitals in Bucharest, interior minister Raed Arafat said. About 180 people were hurt; a few were severely burned. She died at the Bagdasar-Arseni hospital.

Around 100 people, a lot of them young, remain hospitalised – including 48 in critical condition, according to the government.

Concerns that safety at the club was compromised because of corruption – a long-standing issue in Romania – have further fuelled public anger against the political elite.

In another development on Sunday, Klaus Iohannis, the Romanian president, appeared at a protest staged by a few hundred people in University Square in Bucharest, now in its sixth day. “We need a government of technocrats or experts”, said Cristina Lotrea, a 22-year-old sociology researcher.