Romania: Nightclub safety still a problem despite 2015 blaze

BUCHAREST, Romania – Romanian authorities say 280 nightclubs are still operating without fire safety permits — a report published three years since a nightclub fire in Bucharest killed 64 people.

The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said Friday that 280 out of the 1,200 nightclubs nationwide still didn’t have the required fire safety documents, which became mandatory last year.

It said authorities had issued 8,400 safety permits since the Oct. 30, 2015, fire at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest that erupted during a rock band’s pyrotechnics show.

The Romanian government resigned after angry protests claimed that corruption had led to lax safety standards. Romania later introduced a strict smoking ban in public places.

In the past three years, Romanian nightclubs have been fined 76 million lei ($18.54 million) for not having safety permits.