Revelers in the Ozone Disco Pub saw electric sparks and smoke moments before the disco went pitch black. When they realized there was only one way out, they stampeded.
At least 150 died, charred so badly that families and loved ones sorted through jewelry, makeup kits and shoes Tuesday in hopes of identifying the bodies. The heat was so intense that some bodies were fused together.City safety engineer Alfredo Macapugay said the popular disco had been approved for use by only 35 people but was packed with about 350 customers and 40 staff when the fire broke out.
Many of the customers were young people celebrating the end of the school year. Many survivors said the fire appeared to have begun in the disc jockey's booth, but some radio reports said a fuel tank in the kitchen may have exploded.
It was the country's worst fire and the worst nightclub fire worldwide since a blaze killed 164 in Kentucky in 1977.
Firefighters worked with their bare hands to gingerly separate the burned bodies. Many were so overwhelmed by the task that they had to stop and share sips of gin.
Hours after the fire, which began shortly after midnight Monday and was extinguished about two hours later, only 16 of the dead had been identified.
Officials gathered shoes, makeup kits and jewelry left by the victims and made a display for relatives to examine. Erlinda Mandap, 45, sat weeping after finding only her daughter's shoes.
"I'm all alone now. What will happen to me?" said Tess Sagario, 40, whose son and daughter had been inside.
The disco's original fire exit had been blocked by a new building built next door, investigators said.
Disc jockey Marvin Reyes said he saw flames catch the hair and clothes of screaming victims.
Some of the 350 customers were crushed by the disco's falling roof. Others rushed to escape through the only exit, a narrow front corridor, where the bodies piled up waist-deep and dozens were trampled to death.
"I could not do anything," said Remy Menguis, a door guard. "There was just a rush of people."
Menguis said his son, Russel, was among those killed.
"We saw smoke and tried to run outside but were caught in a stampede," said one survivor, who gave only her first name, Rose. "I was stepped on but managed to force my way out."
She said two of the three friends she was with were missing.
President Fidel Ramos visited the disco, called it a "terrible tragedy" and issued orders for inspections of entertainment facilities to ensure they observe building codes. He said the disco's four owners would be arrested if they did not appear voluntarily for questioning.
Hermilo Ocampo, one of the owners, denied any blame, saying the disco was issued a fire safety certificate by the Bureau of Fire Protection.
Hospital officials said dozens of survivors had been brought in with third-degree burns, and their wards were so overburdened that many of the injured were sent to more distant facilities.
Fire officials had said initially that as many as 50 additional bodies remained inside the building, located on a street in Quezon City that is crowded with bars, but no more victims were found by midday Tuesday.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Previous nightclub disasters
Some of the worst recent fires, in terms of lives lost, in nightclubs and social clubs:
March 25, 1990: New York (Bronx). 87 dead.
Dec. 17, 1983: Madrid, Spain. 83 dead.
Feb. 14, 1981: Dublin, Ireland. 44 dead.
Dec. 31, 1979: Chapais, Quebec. 42 dead.
June 9, 1977: Abidjan, Ivory Coast. 41 dead.
May 28, 1977: Southgate, Ky. 164 dead.
Oct. 24, 1976: New York (Bronx). 25 dead.
Nov. 3, 1974: Seoul, South Korea. 88 dead.
June 30, 1974: Port Chester, N.Y. 24 dead.
May 13, 1972: Osaka, Japan. 116 dead.
Nov. 1, 1970: Grenoble, France. 147 dead.
The worst nightclub fire ever was Nov. 28, 1942, at the Cocoanut Grove in Boston, where 491 people died.