Cinema Statuto fire
Cinema Statuto was a movie theater located in Turin, Italy, when on 13 February 1983, at 18:15, during the projection of La Chèvre, a fire caused the death of 64 people as a result of smoke inhalation. According to statements by Raimondo Capella, the owner of the cinema, the flames spread from an old curtain.[1] The victims, although they had tried to escape, found the exits closed and locked, so could not avoid the fumes of Hydrogen cyanide, a product of combustion of fire-resistant fabric chairs.[2]
The owner of the cinema, Raimondo Capella, was sentenced to eight years in first grade, and two years in second grade, and to compensate the relatives of the victims with a sum of 3 billion of lire. All his assets were seized.[3]
This was the largest disaster to have occurred after World War II in Turin. The youngest victim was 7 years old, the oldest was 55 years old. There were nine orphans.[1] The accident prompted a wave of reforms in the laws about public buildings, making fireproof materials and firefighting equipment mandatory for every public space.
References
- ^ a b "13 febbraio 1983 Il fumo, le urla, poi la morte" (in Italian). CronacaQui. 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2009-04-05. [dead link]
- ^ "Io e il rogo allo Statuto dannazione senza fine" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ^ "Quel rogo, la mia dannazione infinita" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2009-04-05.