Radio România Internațional

Tag: nightclub

  • November 3, 2015 UPDATE

    November 3, 2015 UPDATE

    Thousands of protesters marched in downtown Bucharest on Tuesday night, their number standing at some 25,000 according to estimates by the Romanian Gendarmerie. The march started in University Square, continued in Victory Square, in front of the Interior Ministry, the Constitution Square and Bucharests District 4 City Hall. The protest was organized on social networks, in the wake of Friday nights tragedy at Colectiv Club.



    Chanting slogans like Resignation, resignation, “Solidarity and toting signs reading Corruption kills or “We are the generation that changes history, the protesters called for the resignations of Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea and Cristian Popescu –Piedone, the mayor of Bucharest’s fourth district, where Colectiv Club in located.The day was also marked by protests against the government
    and of the political class in general, floral tributes, prayers and religious
    masses in several big cities across Romania: Braila, Ramnicu
    Vlacea, Sibiu, Miercurea Ciuc, Cluj Napoca, Alba-Iulia, Brasov.



    Romanias President Klaus Iohannis posted a message on his Facebook page writing that “it is a street movement, emerging from peoples wish to see their human condition and dignity respected. I understood that they rightfully call for and expect that someone assumes political responsibility. The next step should be taken by politicians, who cant ignore such a feeling of revolt.

  • November 3, 2015 UPDATE

    November 3, 2015 UPDATE

    Thousands of protesters marched in downtown Bucharest on Tuesday night, their number standing at some 25,000 according to estimates by the Romanian Gendarmerie. The march started in University Square, continued in Victory Square, in front of the Interior Ministry, the Constitution Square and Bucharests District 4 City Hall. The protest was organized on social networks, in the wake of Friday nights tragedy at Colectiv Club.



    Chanting slogans like Resignation, resignation, “Solidarity and toting signs reading Corruption kills or “We are the generation that changes history, the protesters called for the resignations of Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea and Cristian Popescu –Piedone, the mayor of Bucharest’s fourth district, where Colectiv Club in located.The day was also marked by protests against the government
    and of the political class in general, floral tributes, prayers and religious
    masses in several big cities across Romania: Braila, Ramnicu
    Vlacea, Sibiu, Miercurea Ciuc, Cluj Napoca, Alba-Iulia, Brasov.



    Romanias President Klaus Iohannis posted a message on his Facebook page writing that “it is a street movement, emerging from peoples wish to see their human condition and dignity respected. I understood that they rightfully call for and expect that someone assumes political responsibility. The next step should be taken by politicians, who cant ignore such a feeling of revolt.

  • Measures in the aftermath of the Bucharest nightclub fire

    Measures in the aftermath of the Bucharest nightclub fire

    Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has called on the responsible authorities to conduct a serious and effective investigation into the tragedy at the ‘Colectiv’ club in Bucharest, which ended in a staggering number of casualties. The head of state has also called on authorities to take the necessary measures and make sure that such tragic events will never happen again. President Klaus Iohannis:



    “We are no longer allowed to tolerate the incompetence of some authorities, the inefficiency of some institutions, and we can no longer allow corruption to spread and kill. Each and every one of us must act responsibly, like active and accountable citizens, who know when and how to take action, together, because they care about the country and society they live in.”



    Prime Minister Victor Ponta has called for an urgent control plan targeting all the clubs, restaurants and other entertainment facilities in the country, to prevent such events from occurring again. Inspectors have already started to conduct large-scale control operations in restaurants, clubs, cinema halls and malls, which usually host events, to see whether they observe the legal functioning conditions. These control measures are precautionary, and documents are verified to see if the owners have got the necessary licenses authorizing them to host shows that involve the use of pyrotechnical and flammable substances.



    The measures have been taken as the tragedy at the ‘Colectiv’ club has raised many questions as to the way in which authorities allow such facilities to function. Witnesses to the disaster have said that the materials used to ensure the sound insulation at the club were not fireproof, and there was nobody there to organize the evacuation, as the law dictates. Cristian Soricut, a specialist in the field, has told Radio Romania:



    “The first measures concern the building as such. It must be done with fireproof materials, the facility must have proper access ways, and the building or modernization license actually must be issued on the basis of these requirements. Secondly, it’s a matter of organization. Also, security in case of fire is a major thing. Here we can talk about fume exhaust systems, alarm system, fire extinguishers.”



    Fire prevention legislation will become harsher. The State Secretary with the Interior Ministry, Raed Arafat, has said that people in charge were working on changing the legislation when the tragedy occurred, and that just a few papers are yet to be issued for the law to be enforced. He has explained that fees are not enough to make club owners take all the necessary measures and, in the future, those who will not have the necessary documentation might face criminal charges and their facilities will be closed down.


  • October 31, 2015 UPDATE

    October 31, 2015 UPDATE

    NATIONAL MOURNING -
    The Prosecutor’s Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice on
    Saturday carried out the first part of the investigation into Friday night’s
    fire, which broke out in a club in downtown Bucharest. The death toll stands at
    27 people dead and some 150 injured. The Romanian government has decreed three
    days of national mourning, to be observed on October 31st, November
    the 1st and 2nd, in -what is being considered- the second worst tragedy to strike Romania since 1989. The death toll could go up,
    because some of the injured are in a critical condition. Four foreign nationals
    are among them: two Spaniards, a German and an Italian. Between 300 and 500
    young people were attending a rock concert when the fire broke out. Romania’s
    President, Klaus Iohannis, has expressed grief but also revolt that such a
    tragedy could occur in downtown Bucharest, most likely against the backdrop of
    laws and norms in the field being ignored. The President of the European
    Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, has sent a message of condolences to the
    families and friends of the victims of the tragic accident that occurred on
    Friday night. In turn, the European Commissioner for Regional Policies, Corina
    Cretu, has expressed her deep sorrow and shock at the news of the tragedy in
    Bucharest. The Embassies of the United States of America and of the Russian
    Federation in Bucharest, respectively, have also sent messages of condolences.



    PLANE CRASH – All 224 people on board the Airbus321-200 passenger jet belonging to the Russian airline “Metrojet, which crashed on Saturday morning in Egypts Sinai Peninsula, lost their lives, the Egyptian government and the Russian Embassy in Cairo have confirmed. According to France Presse, the Egyptian wing of the Islamic State Jihadist group claimed responsibility for the crash on Tweeter, in retaliation for Rusias intervention in Syria. However, the Egyptian authorities say there is no clear evidence confirming an attack scenario. The Russian chartered plane was en route from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh to the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. President Vladimir Putin decreed a day of national mourning on November 1.




    SUMMIT- Representatives of nine Central and East European countries, alongside NATO Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow, will attend a summit in Bucharest, on November the 4th. The NATO official has recently said a series of risks might appear when Russia gets involved in operations unfolding very close to NATO territory. Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, the host of the summit, has said the participants will launch a common message on NATOs adjustment to the current security conditions.




    CHISINAU – The Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and the non-affiliated MPs in the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet country, with a predominantly Romanian speaking population, on Friday had a first meeting for the formation of a new ruling coalition, Radio Chishinau has announced. The meeting was not attended by the Liberal Democratic Party, which has announced a decision will be made in the following days on whether or not it participates in the formation of a new alliance. The politicians have said a new pro-European majority is needed and invited the Liberal-Democrats to join the talks. We recall that the pro-European cabinet led by Liberal Democrat Valeriu Strelet was dissolved by Parliament on Thursday, following a censure motion initiated by the Socialists and the Communists, and backed by the Democratic Party, one of the members of the ruling coalition. Liberal Deputy Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega has been designated interim prime minister by Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti.



    TRADE UNIONS – Romanian trade unions affiliated to the SED LEX Federation will make a decision early next week on having a reaction at national level on the governments decision to increase the salaries of some of the state sector employees. SED LEX says the 50% increase in the basic salaries of people working in the financial system, as of November the 1st, is applied only to those working in central structures. Consequently, only 3,000 employees of the Finance Ministry and of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration, ANAF, will benefit from pay-rises, and not the 23,000 people working in the territorial structures of the public finance system. The Finance Ministry announced on Friday that approximately 5,700 employees of ANAF and the line ministry will benefit from an average 22% increase in their basic salaries. The ministry claims the measure is justified by the complex activities carried out in the aforementioned institutions and the urgent need to ensure the stability of the specialised staff.



    SINGAPORE – Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova has qualified for the finals of the WTA Tournament of Champions, in Singapore, with 7 million US dollars total prize money up for grabs. She managed to defeat Russian Maria Sharapova in a two set match played on Saturday. World number five Petra Kvitova will face, in the finals, Polish Agnieszka Radwanska, WTA no.6 ranked player, who defeated in the semi-finals second-seeded Spanish Garbine Muguruza.

  • October 31, 2015

    October 31, 2015

    NATIONAL MOURNING – The Romanian government, meeting in an emergency session today, has decreed three days of national mourning, after 27 people died following a powerful fire, which broke out on Friday night during a rock concert in a nightclub in Bucharest. The authorities warn the death toll could go up because some of the 146 people who are being treated in hospitals are in a critical state. When the fire broke out, between 300 and 500 people were attending a rock concert. Hundreds of people answered the appeal launched by the authorities to donate blood at the transfusion centres in Bucharest. The investigation into the case has been taken over by the Prosecutors Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice. Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, went to one of the hospitals treating the victims and then to the site of the tragedy. He has expressed grief but also revolt that such a tragedy could occur in downtown Bucharest. According to the Romanian President, there is information leading to the conclusion the event might have occurred against the backdrop of laws and norms in the field being ignored. The President of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, has sent a message of condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the tragic accident which occurred on Friday night. He expressed sadness at the loss of so many young lives, who had such a tragic end. In turn, the European Commissioner for Regional Policies, Corina Cretu, has expressed her deep sorrow and shock at the news of the tragedy in Bucharest. She called on her Romanian co-nationals to stay united in such difficult times.



    PLANE CRASH – Egyptian search and rescue teams which arrived at the site of the crashed Airbus-321 passenger jet belonging to the Russian airline “Kogalymavia managed to extract at least 100 bodies from the wreckage of the plane, Reuters and Tass quote a representative of the Egyptian security services as saying. According to the local media, no survivors of the 224 people on board have been found so far. Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed a day of national mourning on November 1, 2015. The administration of the airport in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh said all crew-members and passengers on board the plane were Russian nationals. The plane, en route to the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, crashed north of the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday morning.



    SUMMIT- Representatives of nine Central and East European countries, alongside NATO Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow, will attend a summit in Bucharest, on November, 4. The NATO official has recently said a series of risks might appear when Russia gets involved in operations unfolding very close to NATO territory. Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, the host the summit, has said the participants will launch a common message on NATOs adjustment to the current security conditions.


    TRADE UNIONS – Romanian
    trade unions affiliated to the SED LEX Federation will make a decision early
    next week on having a reaction at national level on the government’s decision
    to increase the salaries of some of the state sector employees. SED LEX says
    the 50% increase in the basic salaries of people working in the financial
    system, as of November the 1st, is applied only to those working in
    central structures. Consequently, only 3,000 employees of the Finance Ministry
    and of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration, ANAF, will benefit from
    pay-rises, and not the 23,000 people working in the territorial structures of
    the public finance system. The Finance Ministry announced on Friday that
    approximately 5,700 employees of ANAF and the line ministry will benefit from an
    average 22% increase in their basic salaries. The ministry claims the measure
    is justified by the complex activities carried out in the aforementioned
    institutions and the urgent need to ensure the stability of the specialised
    staff.


    CHISHINAU – The Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and
    the non-affiliated MPs in the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet country,
    with a predominantly Romanian speaking population, on Friday had a first
    meeting for the formation of a new ruling coalition, Radio Chishinau has
    announced. The meeting was not attended by the Liberal Democratic Party, which has
    announced a decision will be made in the following days on whether or not it
    participates in the formation of a new alliance. The politicians have said a
    new pro-European majority is needed and invited the Liberal-Democrats to join
    the talks. We recall that the pro-European cabinet led by Liberal Democrat
    Valeriu Strelet was dissolved by Parliament on Thursday, following a censure
    motion initiated by the Socialists and the Communists, and backed by the
    Democratic Party, one of the members of the ruling coalition. Liberal Deputy
    Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega has been
    designated interim prime minister by Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti.