Gothenburg to remember disco fire horror
Today is the twentieth anniversary of the deadliest fire in modern Swedish history: over 200 were injured and 63 killed when a fire was set at a Halloween party in Gothenburg's neighborhood of Backaplan.
One of those who was there 20 years ago was Bobby. He says to Swedish Radio P3 that the music suddenly stopped, and it was completely silent. People didn't know what was happening at first. They thought it was a joke.
He says after a while there was a stampede to get out, and people trampled on each other.
There were 400 people in a space intended for just 150. The fire was started by four young people who had been refused entry to the party without paying. They were later sentenced to up to 8 years in prison, or to time in compulsory youth care.
On Monday there will be memorial events held in Sweden.
Rozbeh Azlanian is the head of the organisation for friends and family of the victims. He says to Radio Gothenburg P4 that there will be a big public procession at Gustav Adolfs torg at 6pm, which will end in a music, concert and speeches outside the building where the fire happened.
Grunden i vår journalistik är trovärdighet och opartiskhet. Sveriges Radio är oberoende i förhållande till politiska, religiösa, ekonomiska, offentliga och privata särintressen.
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