SANTA MARIA, Brazil (AP) — According to a Brazilian newspaper, two members of a band that was onstage when a fire broke out in a nightclub over the weekend have been detained. The band is believed to have used pyrotechnics that ignited sound insulation in the ceiling.
The newspaper (Zero Hora) quotes a lawyer as saying a co-owner of the club has also been detained. Police say they're seeking a fourth person in connection with the blaze.
A military brigade official says the death toll now stands at 231. Many of the victims were under 20 years old, including some minors.
A guitarist who was in the band told a radio station that when the fire began, a guard handed the group a fire extinguisher, but it didn't work. He confirms that one band member died, while the other five made it out safely.
Police say the band member who died had initially escaped, but was killed after going back inside the burning building to save his accordion. They say the other band members made it out alive because they were the first to notice the fire.
