Romania: 2 more die of burns in nightclub fire, death toll rises to 53

BUCHAREST, Romania – Two more people have died of burns sustained in a deadly nightclub fire in the Romanian capital, bringing the total number of deaths in the tragedy to 53.

Bogdan Oprita, a spokesman for the Floreasca Emergency Hospital, said Thursday that two people died at the unit during the night.

Twenty-six people initially died in the Oct. 30 blaze in the Colectiv nightclub which erupted when a spark ignited foam decor during a heavy-metal concert, sending panicked revelers stampeding for the single-door exit. Patients have since succumbed to their injuries almost daily.

The health ministry said Thursday that 67 remain hospitalized in Bucharest, of which 15 are in serious and critical condition caused by burns. Some 31 burn patients are being treated in hospitals in the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain, Germany, Austria, Norway and Israel.

The blaze sparked mass protests that caused the collapse of the government. People blamed widespread corruption and bad governance for the fire.

President Klaus Iohannis has appointed former EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos to form a technocrat government.