275 dead in Paraguay inferno

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/08/01/supermarket.blast.int/index.html

275 dead in Paraguay inferno
Sunday, August 1, 2004 Posted: 10:06 PM EDT (0206 GMT)

ASUNCION, Paraguay -- A fire that raged through a supermarket crowded with weekend shoppers in Paraguay's capital has killed 275 people, Interior Minister Orlando Fiorotto has confirmed.

The toll is expected to rise with one local television station reported saying at least 340 bodies have been recovered from the blaze.

The fire -- followed by two explosions -- broke out around noon Sunday local time, and raged for seven hours before firefighters were able to put it out.

Some witnesses said victims were not able to escape the flames because the exits had been locked, possibly to avoid robberies, a claim denied by Juan Pio Paiva, the supermarket's owner.(...)

:mad: and :cry:

[Rose Siding]

1. Incomprehensible

Prayers to the survivors and the mourners.

[Mara Steele]

2. How sad...

and utterly incomprehensible...

My prayers for all families & survivors...

:cry: :cry:

[Tight_rope]

3. "exits had been locked"....How sad.!...Sue...sue the hell outta them

[Pert_UK]

4. According to the BBC reports exits were locked AFTER the fire started

The exits weren't locked UNTIL the fire kicked off. Once it started staff ran and locked them so that people didn't steal things in the confusion.........which begs the question:

Why have unlocked fire exits if you're planning to lock them in the event of a fire?

This sounds like hell on earth - I can't imagine what it was like for those people, and I don't want to imagine it.

P.