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| Sunday, 15 May 2005 |
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Enraged relatives storm court after fire suspect freed BUENOS AIRES, Saturday (AFP) Enraged relatives of 193 Argentines killed in a disco fire in December stormed a courtroom Friday after the owner of the club was freed by a judge. Family members tried to force their way into the court while others pelted a nearby court building with rocks, knocking out windows, before riot police ended the disturbances, according to television images. Relatives remain angry after the December 30, 2004 fire, in which most of the dead were adolescents. The owner of the Cromagnon Republic club, Omar Chaban, was initially jailed after the club doors were found to have been chained shut. But the judge allowed him freed on bail. Relatives marched to city hall, to accuse Buenos Aires Mayor Anibal Ibarra over the tragedy. "This decision is difficult to explain and more difficult to swallow," the mayor said in a statement. An estimated 2,500 people were in the club on December 30, when someone fired a flare into the ceiling while a rock group, Los Callejeros, was performing. Many in the overcrowded club were unable to escape as safety exits were chained shut. Chaban was arrested December 31 and charged with manslaughter, which carries a sentence of eight to 25 years in prison. On May 6 a judge on charged six former Buenos Aires city officials, five police and two others in connection with the fire. Fabiana Fiszbin, who formerly headed oversight of Buenos Aires businesses, was charged with negligent homicide. Four other officials working with her faced the same charge. A sixth official was charged with dereliction of duty. |
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