29 people have been killed and hundreds more severely injured after a fire in a nightclub in Bucharest, Romania, last week.

The blaze broke out at the Colectiv club on Friday night, causing a stampede for the exit. The fire is believed to have been caused by fireworks that were let off inside the club.

Reports indicate that a spark on the stage ignited some of the polystyrene decor, causing a pillar and the club's ceiling to catch fire. 

Up to 400 people may have been inside the club, which was hosting a free rock concert.

Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, has said safety regulations seem to have been ignored.

The BBC reports that the club was in a converted former factory with two small exit doors, only one of which was possible to open initially.

Romania's state news agency said the people trapped inside had to break the second door down to escape the blaze. 

In addition, authorities said that no fire permit had been requested by the club or granted to it by the Bucharest fire department. 

Romania’s health minister, Raed Arafat, warned that the death toll could rise.

He said: “After the analysis that was done, we concluded that it is still possible for the number of deaths to double.

"In addition to burns on people's bodies, there are aggravating factors. They were in an enclosed space where they inhaled toxic gas. That automatically increases the case complexity and reduces life chances.”

Original source

BBC

Daily Telegraph