Bucharest club fire: Bassist death takes toll to 51

Goodbye To Gravity bassist Alex Pascu has died from his injuries in the Bucharest club fire last month, taking the death toll to 51.

Drummer Bodgan Enache lost his life earlier this week, while guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihal Alexandru didn’t survive the blaze at the Colectiv Club in Romania on October 30.

Vocalist Andrei Galut is the only surviving band member – he’s among a total of 24 people who remain in hospital in serious conditions, while 52 others are also under medical supervision.

Meanwhle, Bucharest mayor Cristian Popescur Piedone has been released from prison, after having been arrested on suspicion of corruption in connection with the club. He was accused of allowing Colectiv to operate without appropriate safety permits.

Venue owner Alin Anastasescu and two associates were arrested and charged with homicide on November 2. Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta and his government resigned as a result of public reaction to the tragedy.

Romanian psychiatrist Gabriel Diaconu has calculated that 5000 people have been affected by the tragedy. She tells Digi24: “There are the people who were directly exposed to this, their families, their extended families. Then there are also the people who were at the place of tragedy, ambulances, doctors.

“All those directly exposed have suffered trauma. They can experience sleep problems, they can have problems in adjusting their mood, and can experience anger issues.”

Interim prime minister Sorin Cimpeanu has announced that the families of those remaining in hospital will be given between €1350 and €7500 per month in financial aid. A programme of social assistance is being devised by national authorities.

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Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.