Cinema Statuto fire

Cinema Statuto was a movie theater located in Turin, Italy, when on 13 February 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 Capella, the owner of the cinema, the flames spread from an old curtain.[1][2] This was the largest disaster to have occurred after World War II in Turin.

Cinema Statuto fire
DateFebruary 13, 1983 (1983-02-13)
Time18:15
LocationTurin, Italy
TypeBuilding fire
CauseInconclusive
Deaths64
Non-fatal injuries20
ConvictedRaimondo Capella (owner of cinema)

Fire

At the time of the fire there were over 400 people were in the theater. In February 2018 Barbara Guaschetti, one of the survivors, stated that the spectators sitting in the lower hall managed to escape through the main entrance and the only emergency exit at the ground floor that was not closed and locked.[3] The owner of the cinema Raimondo Capella claimed that he and some employees attempted to put out the fires with fire extinguishers but were unable to do so and began opening exit doors and evacuating patrons.[4] However, as remembered by one of the firefighters who was on the scene, they had to force open the emergency exits on the first floor because they were all locked.[5]

Most of the victims were among the viewers sitting in the upper Gallery who did not realize what was happening till it was too late. The owner of the cinema did not turn the emergency lights on and did not stop the screening because he feared «a wave of panic». Those in the balcony who had tried to reach the stairs found that the only way out was already blocked by flames, others fled to the toilets and died there. A few bodies were found still seated.[6]

Victims

About sixty-four people were killed due to the fire and resulting panic in the evacuation, with about twenty deceased victims found huddled in a closet and bathrooms they believed to be stairwells. Some of the deceased, died due to fumes of Hydrogen cyanide, a product of combustion of fire-resistant fabric chairs.[7] An additional twenty people were reported injured.[4] The youngest victim was 7 years old, the oldest was 55 years old. Nine children were orphaned after their parents died in the fire.[2]

Raimondo Capella, was arrested on multiple charges of negligent homicide, and 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 (€1.54 million). All his assets were seized.[8][4]

Aftermath

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. History Channel web site retrieved January 1, 2019.
  2. "13 febbraio 1983 Il fumo, le urla, poi la morte" (in Italian). CronacaQui. 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  3. Fasano, Giusi (2018). ""Uscita viva dal cinema Statuto. Mi sono sempre chiesta perché io mi sono salvata e tanti sono morti"". Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian).
  4. "A blaze engulfed a crowded movie theater Sunday killing..." UPI. February 13, 1983. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  5. Ariu, Enzo. "Incendio Cinema Statuto". ANVVF Sezione di Torino (in Italian). Turin, Italy. Archived from the original on 2019-01-11.
  6. Durante, Patrizia; Galvagno, Gabriele (2012). Statuto. La memoria perduta (in Italian). Enneci Communication. ISBN 9788887954180.
  7. "Io e il rogo allo Statuto dannazione senza fine" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  8. "Quel rogo, la mia dannazione infinita" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2009-04-05.

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