GOODBYE TO GRAVITY Bassist Among Latest Fatalities From Bucharest Nightclub Fire
November 11th, 2015
On October 30th, 2015 at roughly 23:00 local time, more than 200 people were injured at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, Romania following a fire during a concert by local metal group Goodbye To Gravity. The death toll was initially reported to be 26, but has since risen to 51. Goodbye To Gravity bassist Alex Pascu died on November 11th after being transported to Paris, France by plane. He was reportedly at Spitalul de Urgenţă Floreasca (Bucharest Emergency Hospital) initially, where he underwent surgery.
Guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihai Alexandru were among the 26 fatalities who died on the evening of the fire. Drummer Bogdan Lavinius died on November 8th while being transported to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland by plane. Lavinius suffered a cardiac arrest during the flight, which was in the midst of returning to Romania due to Lavinius’ worsening condition. The medical staff performed resuscitation manoeuvres on the man for 70 minutes.
Approximately 155 people underwent hospital treatment as a result of the fire, suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. Goodbye To Gravity lead vocalist and sole surviving member Andrei Galut is in serious condition with burns on 45% of his body and injuries from smoke inhalation. Initially treated at Elias hospital, the singer has since been transferred to a treatment centre in the Netherlands.
76 people injured in the fire are still being treated in various Bucharest-area hospitals, with 24 in critical and serious condition.
The event happened to be a release party for full-length studio album Mantras Of War, attended by an estimated 400 people. Reportedly, the explosion occurred following Goodbye To Gravity’s fireworks show, which allegedly caused the ceiling as well as a pillar to catch alight and produced heavy smoke.
Romania declared three days of national mourning, with Prime Minister Victor Ponta cutting short a visit to Mexico to return to Bucharest. The fire led to mass protests, and the subsequent resignation of Ponta’s government.
Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis wrote that he was “deeply grieved by the tragic events that happened this evening in downtown”, further stating: “It is a very sad day for all of us, for our nation and for me personally.” Iohannis has since said that safety regulations were seemingly ignored.
