Romania marks 11 years since Colectiv club tragedy that killed 65 people
The fire, which broke out on the evening of October 30, 2015, during a rock concert held at the underground Colectiv club, also injured 186 people.
Radu Dumitrescu · Journalist
· 4 min read
Romania marks 11 years since the Colectiv club fire that killed 65 people on Friday, October 30. Beyond remembering the victims, the commemoration represents more than a decade of unfulfilled promises regarding the needed medical facilities.
The fire, which broke out on the evening of October 30, 2015, during a rock concert held at the underground Colectiv club, also injured 186 people. Fireworks ignited the material covering the club's walls, and the flames spread rapidly, forcing people to rush for the exit.
The tragedy triggered a wave of protests and led to the resignation of the Victor Ponta government.
However, 11 years later, Romania still does not have the three new centers for treating patients with severe burns operational. In Bucharest, following the closure of the unit at Floreasca Hospital, only one hospital can still treat patients with severe burns. As such, Romania continues to rely on treatment abroad for its burn victims.
Late justice
On May 12, 2022, the Bucharest Court of Appeal issued its final ruling ordering the club's owners, the two pyrotechnicians, the companies involved, Bucharest's District 4 City Hall, and the Bucharest-Ilfov Emergency Situations Inspectorate to jointly pay more than EUR 50 million in compensation to the victims and the families of those who died.
Payments of more than RON 8 million to hospitals for hospitalization costs were also established, according to Digi24.
In June 2022, the government announced an increase of almost RON 300 million (EUR 56 million) in the budget of the Bucharest-Ilfov Emergency Situations Inspectorate to cover compensation payments in the Colectiv case. The amounts were intended for approximately 400 victims and the heirs of victims.
As of October 30, 2024, the Bucharest-Ilfov Emergency Situations Inspectorate had paid approximately EUR 60 million in compensation to around 300 survivors and relatives of those who died.
In courts, litigation connected to the tragedy continues on several fronts: the recovery by the Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISU) of compensation paid to victims from those responsible, civil claims filed by victims and survivors, proceedings to establish the competent court, and appeals for annulment filed by convicted individuals.
Only two state representatives were convicted, the firefighters who inspected the club, and only one of them, George Matei, is serving his eight-year-and-eight-month sentence in Romania. Antonina Radu, his colleague, fled to the Republic of Moldova and received a reduced sentence there, namely six years.
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