Ex-City Officials to Be Prosecuted in Disco Fire

Five former municipal officials have been charged with manslaughter in connection with the December nightclub fire in Buenos Aires that claimed 193 lives.

Judge Marcelo Lucini handed down the charges against a city official, Fabiana Fiszbin, and four others who had oversight of the city’s nightclubs at the time of the Dec. 30 fire at the downtown Cromagnon Republic club.

Authorities looked into reports that a flare launched by someone during an indoor rock concert had sparked the fire. Panicked crowds surged through thick smoke toward the doors, but exits were reportedly locked.

Relatives of victims have staged frequent marches to demand justice, saying the city was lax in enforcing public safety codes for nightclubs and dance halls.