Niterói circus fire

The Niterói circus fire was a fire disaster which occurred on December 17, 1961 in the city of Niterói, Brazil. A fire in the tent housing a sold-out performance by the Gran Circus Norte-Americano caused more than 500 deaths (including deaths from sequels).[1]

The fire was soon claimed to have been caused by arson. Adilson Marcelino Alves, a disgruntled employee, and two accomplices, were later arrested and convicted for it. This is the official version – with scapegoats – maintained since then. Independent investigations[2] and opinions[3] point to electrical problems that were covered up.

References

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Portuguese Wikipedia.
  1. ^ Cozer, Raquel (26 November 2011). "Obra vê maior tragédia circense do mundo" (in Portuguese). Folha de S.Paulo (30187): E7. 
  2. ^ O espetáculo mais triste da terra. [1] (Portuguese)
  3. ^ A cidade como sentimento: história e memória de um acontecimento na sociedade contemporânea:— o incêndio do Gran Circus Norte-Americano em Niterói, 1961. [2] (Portuguese)