ABSTRACT

One summer night, in Santa Maria, Brazil, 233 young people died in a nightclub fire. They were crushed by the chaos of party goers trying to flee the club. The sole exit was blocked by bouncers who, unaware of the fire, thought they were fleeing without settling their accounts. In a matter of seconds, it was too late. A night of pleasure turned deadly. Lives were lost. As horrifying as social disasters are, in an odd way they can be said to be orderly. The kids at the club were having normal fun. The bouncers were doing, as best they could tell, what they were paid to do. Even the club owners who made their profits by neglecting safety measures were doing what those who make their money off kids do – cutting corners in a systematic way.