There is nothing worse than losing a child. This is known best by the mothers and fathers of children who died in an accident. Cars are a means of transportation, but perhaps not only. And what are discos then – just a place for fun or… and a place for death. Ridiculous, unnecessary, premature death, because that’s just how the system works – me for you, brother, you for me. And then… Then only those who are directly affected remember. Others forget, society forgets, time forgets, time heals – old people say. Time heals, but not those whose hearts are broken.
Bulgaria will never forget "Indigo". And now we remember, because there is a bad reason, there is a tragedy that is close next to us, but it does not affect us directly. Romania will always remember the horror at the "Kolectiv" disco. North Macedonia plunged into 7 days of mourning because of the tragedy at the "Pulse" club, where 59 people died and over 150 were injured.
And what was found out - the disco in the city of Kocani had only two fire extinguishers, it did not have a fire protection system, and the only evacuation exit was locked with a padlock. Where and how to escape. The luck of being close to the door or the desire to be close to the stage to enjoy the band. How thin the thread between life and death is, isn't it?
The memory of "Indigo"
7 children were killed and 12 injured on December 21, 2001, Friday, days before Christmas. Discotheque "Indigo" in Sofia organized a concert by the rap duo Kolombietsa and M'glata. The venue is housed in the former "Yunak" stadium and is a popular place for youth parties. The stadium itself has been in very poor condition since the 1980s, and in the late 1990s the state rented it out because it had no money to maintain it. The concert was intended for teenagers between 12 and 18 years old, and at 6:30 p.m. hundreds of boys and girls had already gathered in front of the metal fences of the stadium, more than the capacity of the disco.
The entrance to the disco itself is through a corridor and stairs. The security guards stand at the end of the corridor, next to the disco doors, and do not let anyone pass until they have paid a fee.
The corridor is already crowded with people who cannot move forward, nor can they go back. The last ones start pushing the others to get in. Some of the children fall into the crush and are trampled. Others begin to suffocate from the pressure and lack of air. Only then do the security guards open the doors to make room for those squeezed in panic.
Seven children die in the incident. The youngest, Viktoria Mirkova, is only 10 years old. Dimitar Andreev, Elena Spandonieva, Kristina Kabakchieva, and Lyubomira Zaharieva are 13 years old. Madlen Nikolova and Tsvetelina Ralchovska remain forever 14.
Thirteen more children are seriously injured. The case against the perpetrators of the tragedy has been brought back to the first instance several times. The expert report shows that the entrance and staircases of the "Yunak" stadium were incorrectly designed during their construction. Access to the disco was not secured, and those responsible for organizing events were not instructed to respond in case of emergencies.
In November 2006 - five years later - the Sofia City Court, presided over by Anton Stankov, found two of the six defendants guilty. These were Tsvyatko Barchovski, former chairman of the Youth and Sports Committee, and the manager of "Indigo" Angel Nikolov. It punished them with only a 3-month suspended sentence for Barchovski for concluding an unprofitable contract, as well as symbolic fines.
The second instance court sentenced him to 800 leva. fined both security guards of the disco, Georgi Vasilev and Henri Silaghi, and in July 2008 its decision was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Cassation.
"Collective" in Romania
October 30, 2015 - the band Goodbye to Gravity organized a concert at the "Collective" club in the Romanian capital, "Bucharest". Suddenly, the pyrotechnics for the event ignited the acoustic lining of the club, and the fire spread uncontrollably everywhere. 27 people died that same night in the fire - among them two musicians. Over 200 were injured. 37 of the victims died in the next few weeks in hospital. Among them were men and women who were admitted for treatment without life-threatening injuries. The investigation into their deaths reveals a second fatal corruption scheme.
The preliminary inspection shows that "Kolectiv" did not meet any safety requirements. The venue had only one fire extinguisher at the time it let in between 300 and 500 spectators for the concert. The owners did not purchase sound insulation protected from ignition because they found it too expensive. The door to the only exit was only 80 cm wide.
In 2022, 8 people were sentenced to a total of 61 years in prison. Among them is the former district mayor who allowed "Kolectiv" to operate, the three owners of the nightclub, a pyrotechnician and two fire safety officials who issued documents that the establishment met the standards.
The scandal surrounding "Kolectiv" became the occasion for large-scale protests against the authorities in Romania - just as students in Serbia have now triggered a huge wave of protests in Serbia.
If it weren't for "Pulse" now, who in our country would remember "Kolectiv" in Romania. For us, "Indigo" is a pain that has been going on for 24 years. Today, these children would have families and most likely be happy with their own children. But it wouldn't, because there are days when the death of children makes the Balkans cry!