Cinema Statuto fire

Cinema Statuto was a movie theater located in Turin, Italy, when on February 13, 1983, at 18:15, during the projection of La Chèvre, a fire caused the death of 64 people as a result of smoke inhalation. According to statements by Raimondo Cappella, the owner of the cinema, the flames spread from an old curtain.^[1] The victims, although they had tried to escape, found the exits closed and locked, so could not avoid the fumes of Hydrogen cyanide, a product of combustion of fire-resistant fabric chairs.^[2]

The owner of the cinema, Raimondo Cappella, was sentenced to eight years in first grade, and two years in second grade, and to compensate the relatives of the victims with a sum of 3 billion of lire. All his assets were seized.^[3]

This was the largest disaster to have occurred after World War II in Turin. The youngest victim was 7 years old, the oldest was 55 years old. There were nine orphans.^[1] The accident prompted a wave of reforms in the laws about public buildings, making fireproof materials and firefighting equipment mandatory for every public space.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "13 febbraio 1983 Il fumo, le urla, poi la morte" (in Italian). CronacaQui. 2008-02-03. http://www.cronacaqui.it/news-13-febbraio-1983--il-fumo-le-urla-poi-la-morte_3162.html. Retrieved 2009-04-05. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Io e il rogo allo Statuto dannazione senza fine" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 2008-01-16. http://torino.repubblica.it/dettaglio/Io-e-il-rogo-allo-Statuto-dannazione-senza-fine/1414607/1. Retrieved 2009-04-05. 
3. ^ "Quel rogo, la mia dannazione infinita" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 2008-01-16. http://torino.repubblica.it/dettaglio/Quel-rogo-la-mia-dannazione-infinita/1414611. Retrieved 2009-04-05. 

External links

• Photogallery of the tragedy
• Video about the tragedy and aftermath
• Another Video about the tragedy and aftermath

Coordinates: 45°04′00″N 7°42′00″E / 45.0667°N 7.7°E / 45.0667; 7.7