Niterói circus fire

1961 fire disaster in Brazil

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Niterói circus fire
Date	17 December 1961; 62 years ago (1961-12-17)
Location	Niterói, Brazil
Deaths	503^[1]
Non-fatal injuries	800+

The Niterói circus fire occurred on 17 December 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.^[2] It is the worst fire disaster to occur in Brazil.

Circus

The Gran Circus Norte-Americano premiered in Niterói on 15 December 1961. It was advertised as the most complete circus in Latin America, with approximately 60 performers, 20 other employees and 150 animals. Circus owner Danilo Stevanovich had purchased a new tent made of nylon and weighing six tons. The circus arrived in Niterói one week before the premiere, and was set up in the Praça Expedicionário in the city center.^[3] The circus tent imported from India had been advertised as being made of nylon, but was actually cotton treated with paraffin wax, a highly flammable material.^[4]

Fire

The fire occurred with 3,000 people present under the big top, and during the trapeze act. One of the artists later recounted that she had been waiting on the platform for her partner who was on the trapeze when she spotted the fire. In an effort not to make him fall she waited until he landed on the platform before alerting him, and they jumped into the net under them and escaped the tent.^[5] There was at least one reported instance of a Boy Scout in attendance using a pocket knife to slit the walls of the tent open to make another exit.^[6] In a little over five minutes, the circus was completely devoured by the flames.^[7]

All of the circus' 150 animals were rescued and none had been under the big top at the time of the fire, although three elephants broke from their chains and escaped.^[5]

Victims

Of all the casualties, 372 died immediately, with the total reaching 503 dead as others succumbed to their injuries. About 70% of the victims were children, with many eyewitnesses raising claims that the children had been trampled to death by adults attempting to escape the circus tent.^[8]

Treatment for the injured was hampered due to short supply of many different treatments and even hospital beds and medical personnel. Many supplies were air-lifted from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and doctors and nurses traveled from larger towns after an appeal on the radio.^[5]

Investigation

The fire was soon claimed to have been caused by arson.^[8] Three people were arrested and convicted of starting the fire. Independent investigations^[9] and opinions^[10] point to electrical problems that were covered up.^[4]

Aftermath

Three days of mourning were declared along with a state of calamity for the area. Brazilian President João Goulart inspected the scene of the fire and authorized federal aid for the victims. The owner of the circus also hoped to organize benefit performances for families of victims.^[8]

References

^ Atiyeh, B. (2013). "Brazilian Kiss Nightclub Disaster". Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters. 26 (1): 3. PMC 3741004. PMID 23966891.
^ Cozer, Raquel (26 November 2011). "Obra vê maior tragédia circense do mundo". Folha de S.Paulo (in Portuguese). No. 30187. pp. E7.
^ Da alegria ao terror, a tragédia do Gran Circus Portal Terra - acessado em 16 de dezembro de 2011
^ ^a ^b Kunath, Wolfgang (10 January 2012). "Zirkuskatastrophe Das Brandmal". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 1 February 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c "250 Feared Dead After Circus Fire". Eugene Registrar- Guard. December 18, 1961. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
^ "Circus catches fire in Brazil". HISTORY. December 22, 2020. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
^ "Circus Tent Fire Kills 285, Injures 600, in Rio Suburb; Scores of Children Die in Flames and Panic -Arson Suspected CIRCUS FIRE DEAD AT 285 IN BRAZIL". The New York Times. 1961-12-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Calamity Follows Circus Fire". Desert Sun. 18 December 1961. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
^ "O espetáculo mais triste da terra (book review)" (in Portuguese). Biblioteca Pública de Niterói. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
^ Knauss, Paulo (1 June 2007). "A cidade como sentimento: história e memória de um acontecimento na sociedade contemporânea - o incêndio do Gran Circus Norte-Americano em Niterói, 1961". Revista Brasileira de História (in Portuguese). 27 (53): 25–54. doi:10.1590/S0102-01882007000100003. ISSN 1806-9347.