Tragic fire at student party kills 232 in Santa Maria, Brazil

May the victims rest in peace. May their families and loved ones get the support they need.

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Southern Brazil.

Earlier Sunday morning (2:30 AM local time) a fire swept through a night club, killing at least 232 people and injuring many more.

Apparently, the show involved some fireworks, which started the fire. Reports say the ceiling's insulating foam caught fire.

We looked at the ceiling in front of the stage and a fire was beginning. It was a friend of ours that showed us. Then we began to fall. My sister pulled me, and I was dragged across the floor

[snip]

It was a small door for many people to exit.
- 23 year old survivor [source: GloboNews]

The party involved students from the Federal University of Santa Maria, who were studying Pedagogy, Agronomy, Veterinary Medicine, Zoology and two technical courses.

Santa Maria has a population of a quarter million, with several universities.