An Argentine nightclub owner, six rock musicians and three low-level public officials went on trial Tuesday for a 2004 discotheque blaze that killed 194 concertgoers in the country's deadliest fire.
Cromagnon Republic nightclub owner Omar Chaban cradled his head in his hands as a three-judge panel read charges against the defendants. Grieving family members held up images of the dead in the crowdd ed chamber, while hundreds of people gathered outside the courthouse in central Buenos Aires.
Chaban and the members of Los Callejeros rock group face prison terms ranging from eight to 20 years if convicted in the fire, which was touched off when a flare ignited ceiling foam and filled the club with asphyxiating smoke. In addition to the deaths, more than 1,000 revelers were injured.
Prosecutors accuse Chaban of packing the 1,500-capacity club with more than 4,000 people and blocking exits to keep ticketless fans from sneaking in. The musicians allegedly encouraged fans to set off flares during their concerts.
The three officials could receive prison sentences from two months to a year for lesser offenses such as lax enforcement of city safety regulations.
The accused made no public comments on Tuesday, but in the past they have denied responsibility for deaths.
The blaze has already led to the downfall of former Buenos Aires Mayor Anibal Ibarra, who was ousted by a city legislative panel in March 2006 over allegations that poor government oversight contributed to the deaths.
The capital has since tightened safety rules for bars and nightclubs.
