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Romania Issues 2 Million Dollars in Safety Violation Fines Following Horrific Club Fire

Firefighters found over 3,200 safety violations, leading to the permanent closure and suspension of some businesses.

Following the horrific nightclub blaze that killed 56 people in Bucharest last month, the Romanian government commissioned a sweep of 1,000 bars, venues, clubs, cinemas, and malls. The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations released a statement in Romanian this week saying they found over 3,200 violations, leading to the permanent closure and suspension of some businesses.

Many of these businesses lacked correct fire permits or firefighting equipment and neglected to hold fire drills, the Inspectorate said. The organization also noted widespread violations of bans on illegal flames, pyrotechnics, and public smoking—and doled out fines totaling 8.6 million lei, or 2.07 million dollars. 432 of these violations were fixed during these inspections.

Last month's fire at Colectiv—which led to protests and the resignation of Romania's prime minister—was blamed on poor safety practices and a lack of proper inspections, BBC News reported. Police said that the club was over capacity and only had one exit, leading to a stampede when fireworks caused the venue to catch fire. Protesters believe it is indicative of a wider corruption problem within the government that leads to a lack of accountability with regards to these issues.