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][2] 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.[3]

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 (€1.54 million). All his assets were seized.[4]

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.[2] 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
  1. History Channel web site retrieved January 1, 2019.
  2. "13 febbraio 1983 Il fumo, le urla, poi la morte" (in Italian). CronacaQui. 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  3. "Io e il rogo allo Statuto dannazione senza fine" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  4. "Quel rogo, la mia dannazione infinita" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2009-04-05.

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