The monuments and memorials in Argentina are plentiful, true. But one makeshift-turned-permanent memorial trumps them all in terms of its impact. We visited what is now a shrine to the victims of the República Cromañón night club fire in Buenos Aires. You'll probably remember the news story: On 30 December 2004, a fire broke out in the club, killing 194 people and injuring 714 others. The venue was [hosting a rock concert] and around 3,000 people were in attendance. The blaze was started when a pyrotechnic flare was set off and ignited foam in the ceiling. [A] plastic net was hung from the ceiling and caught fire first, melting into a rain of fire. Four of the six doors, some of which were fire exits, were chained shut so that "people would not enter without paying," according to Mayor Aníbal Ibarra. Most of the victims died from inhaling poisonous gases, smoke and carbon monoxide, unlike most accidents of this kind, where most die from crushing or burning. (
Source)
The memorial that sprung up near the night club in the days and weeks following the fire was heart-wrenchingly personal. Most of the victims were young - in their late teens/early twenties. Each of them has a dedicated space on a wall, where family members and friends brought mementos and photos of their young lives to display. Hand-written sentiments cover the whitewash. Of course there are graffiti murals.
Perhaps the most tender element of the shrine are the shoes. Shoes belonging to the victims hang from wires and line the area, now weathered, bleached and tattered from years in the sun - but they are a vivid touch of humanity that not-so-subtly conveys that lives were lost and that those shoes will never be filled. It was a powerful, emotional display that I think ideally remembers the tragedy. Maybe all memorials should be like this one.
The monuments and memorials in Argentina are plentiful, true. But one makeshift-turned-permanent memorial trumps them all in terms of its impact. We visited what is now a shrine to the victims of the República Cromañón night club fire in Buenos Aires. You'll probably remember the news story: On 30 December 2004, a fire broke out in the club, killing 194 people and injuring 714 others. The venue was [hosting a rock concert] and around 3,000 people were in attendance. The blaze was started when a pyrotechnic flare was set off and ignited foam in the ceiling. [A] plastic net was hung from the ceiling and caught fire first, melting into a rain of fire. Four of the six doors, some of which were fire exits, were chained shut so that "people would not enter without paying," according to Mayor Aníbal Ibarra. Most of the victims died from inhaling poisonous gases, smoke and carbon monoxide, unlike most accidents of this kind, where most die from crushing or burning. (Source)
The memorial that sprung up near the night club in the days and weeks following the fire was heart-wrenchingly personal. Most of the victims were young - in their late teens/early twenties. Each of them has a dedicated space on a wall, where family members and friends brought mementos and photos of their young lives to display. Hand-written sentiments cover the whitewash. Of course there are graffiti murals.
Perhaps the most tender element of the shrine are the shoes. Shoes belonging to the victims hang from wires and line the area, now weathered, bleached and tattered from years in the sun - but they are a vivid touch of humanity that not-so-subtly conveys that lives were lost and that those shoes will never be filled. It was a powerful, emotional display that I think ideally remembers the tragedy. Maybe all memorials should be like this one.
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