Breaking News English

Brazilians are still in [shock / shocking] at the devastating [loss / lost] of life after the nightclub fire in the city of Santa Maria in southern Rio Grande do Sul state. The [blaze / ablaze] at the Kiss club has so far [claims / claimed] the lives of 236 partygoers. The death toll could rise as another 87 people are fighting for their life on respirators in [intensively / intensive] care units. Investigators have been [quickly / quick] to ascertain the cause of such a high number of fatalities. They blame a highly [ / flameproof] flammable and toxic foam that was used to [sounding / soundproof] the club. Santa Maria police chief Marcelo Arigony told reporters: "If it weren't for this material, no one would have died." The police also blamed [faultless / faulty] fire extinguishers and alarms, and a single [obstructed / obstruction] emergency exit.

The co-owner of the nightclub is [blamed / blaming] "the whole country" for the disaster. Elissandro Spohr, 28, has been [arrest / arrested] by police for operating a nightclub without a [valid / validity] license after his club's safety certificate [expired / expiration] last year. He is currently in a hospital after trying to commit [suicidal / suicide] . He reportedly told police officers he no longer has the [would / will] to live and regrets he was ever born. His lawyer says Mr Spohr blames all the inspectors who [approved / approval] the plans for the nightclub, saying: "My client's responsibility is having [trusts / trusted] too much in the inspectors and in those responsible [for / of] the construction." He denies police reports of overcrowding – that 1,200 people were in a place with a capacity [by / of] 700.