República Cromañón nightclub fire
Relatives of the deceased in the fire light candles in a public protest against the perceived lack of control by the government.
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| Date | December 30, 2004 |
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| Venue | República Cromañón nightclub |
| Location | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Coordinates | 34°36′33″S 58°24′35″W / 34.60917°S 58.40972°WCoordinates: 34°36′33″S 58°24′35″W / 34.60917°S 58.40972°W |
| Type | Fire |
| Cause | Pyrotechnic flare |
| Deaths | 194 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 1432 |
The República Cromañón nightclub fire occurred in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 30 December 2004, and killed 194 people. The tragedy was symbolic of government failure in Argentina, since the club had received a permit despite lacking basic fire safety measures like fire extinguishers.
Cromañón Republic was a facility that held concerts and events. It was located on 3060/3066/3070 Bartolomé Mitre in the Balvanera neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. It was operated by Omar Chabán, and opened on 12 April 2004.
The venue was hosting rock group Callejeros and around 3,000 people were in attendance. The blaze was started when a pyrotechnic flare (a popular device in New Year's Eve celebrations) was set off and ignited foam in the ceiling. The materials used in the building for decoration were flammable: mostly wood, styrofoam, acoustic panels and a plastic net (media sombra). This plastic net was hung from the ceiling and caught fire first, melting into a rain of fire. In some parts of the building, teddy bear stuffing was used as a cheap alternative to wool fiber. The owner and the band's lead singer had told the patrons not to use flares inside the building.
Four of the six doors, some of which were fire exits, were chained shut so that "people would not enter without paying", according to Mayor Aníbal Ibarra. Most of the victims died from inhaling poisonous gases, and carbon monoxide.
Following the disaster, an Argentine judge issued a national and international arrest order against Omar Chabán, local businessman and owner of República Cromañón and other nightclubs, including one called Cemento that had been closed by court orders many times before. Chabán was located at one of his houses in the neighbourhood of Montserrat and was arrested.
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