Outdoor flare started club fire: Brazil police
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SANTA MARIA, Brazil (AP) - Penny-pinching by a band known for its onstage pyrotechnic displays may have cost more than 230 people their lives at a nightclub in southern Brazil, according to a police inspector leading the investigation into this weekend's deadly blaze.
Inspector Marcelo Arigony told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday that members of the band knowingly purchased flares meant for outdoor use because they cost a mere US$1.25 (S$1.54) a piece, compared with the US$35 price tag for an indoor flare.
"The flare lit was for outdoor use only, and the people who lit them know that," said Mr Arigony, adding that members of the group acknowledged regularly opting for the less expensive flares.
"They chose to buy those because they were cheaper than those that can be used indoors."
