Irritant spray possible cause of deadly club stampede
ITALIAN police are questioning more witnesses to find who sprayed an irritant, triggering a deadly stampede in an overcrowded club in a town near the port of Ancona.
Colonel Cristian Carrozza of the Ancona Carabinieri yesterday declined to confirm media reports that investigators had identified a juvenile as the alleged sprayer.
He said police had questioned more than 80 witnesses to Saturday’s early-hours stampede at the Blue Lagoon in Corinaldo, near Ancona, and would speak to dozens more.
Five teenagers, all minors, and a mother who was accompanying her child to the rap concert at the venue were killed in the stampede.
More than 50 concert-goers were injured, with seven still in very serious condition yesterday.
Investigators say hundreds more tickets were sold than the disco could handle.
Video taken outside the venue showed scores of teenagers rushing out a door and surging towards a low railing or wall near the exit.
The barrier appears to give way and a cascade of teenagers tumble over it, falling on top of each other.
The “giving way of two parapets due to the crush of the young people getting out” probably caused the tragedy, interior minister Matteo Salvini said.
The bodies of the victims were found near a low wall, about 3ft to 5ft, close to an exit.
Ancona chief prosecutor Monica Garulli said: “The number of tickets sold is about 1,400, compared to a capacity of about 870.”
Mr Salvini said it was “probably true that there were ... more people inside than was permissible”.
Mr Carrozza said the dead teenagers – three girls and two boys – were aged 14 to 16 and the woman was 39. Of the 59 who were injured, 13 were in serious condition, he said.
The radio report said most of the fatalities were due to crushed skulls.
The woman who was killed had gone with her daughter to the Lanterna Azzurra, where rapper Sfera Ebbasta was to perform.
Amid reports that someone had sprayed an irritant, which triggered the panic, Mr Salvini said there possibly was a “stink” of possibly ammonia or another substance.
Mr Poggiali said it was too early to know if any safety violations might have played a role, adding that when rescuers arrived all the fire doors were open, despite claims some fire doors were blocked.