Ozone Disco fire explained

Ozone Disco fire
Time:11:35 p.m.
Location:Quezon City, Philippines
Type:Fire
Cause:Unknown, believed to be electrical fire
Reported Deaths:162
Reported Injuries:95

The Ozone Disco fire in Quezon City, Philippines, broke out on March 18, 1996, leaving at least 162 people dead. It is officially acknowledged as the worst fire in Philippine history,[1] [2] and among the 10 worst nightclub fires in the world.[3] [4]

History

Ozone Disco was located near the 11th World Scout Jamboree Memorial Rotonda along Timog Avenue. Its building and the land it stood on was a music venue for the most part. Initially, the site housed the jazz club "Birdland", which was owned by Sergio Orgaoow and operated from 1978 until 1990.[5]

When Birdland closed, Orgaoow sold the building and lot to Westwood Entertainment Company, Inc.'s owner and president Hermilo Ocampo.[6] Initially, the Ocampos planned to use the site for residential reasons but the family instead converted it to a discotheque, noting the rise of electronic music in the Philippines. Westwood Entertainment attracted investors and refurbished the building, adding a new portion to the already existing building. This new addition, which faced Timog Avenue, housed the disco's cafe area.

The disco opened in 1991 and became a popular spot in Quezon City for students and young professionals in the mid-'90s.

Incident

The fire broke out just before midnight on March 18, 1996. At the time of the fire, it was estimated that there were around 350 patrons and 40 club employees inside Ozone Disco, though it has a capacity of only 35 people.[1] [7] Most of the club guests were high school and college students attending graduation or end-of-the-school-year celebrations.[8] Survivors reported seeing sparks flying inside the disc jockey's booth shortly before midnight, followed by smoke which they thought was part of the DJ's party plan.[1] Another survivor added that after about 15 seconds of smoke, the electrical systems of the disco shut down; flames quickly became visible.[9] The DJ, another survivor, recalled the microphone died as he was about to warn everyone about the fire.[10]

Many of the bodies were discovered along the corridor leading to the only exit, piled up waist-high.[1] Through initial investigations, it was determined that that no proper fire exit was installed; Quezon City officials were quoted as saying that the club's only known emergency exit was blocked by a new building next door,[1] which journalists stated that the aforementioned emergency exit only led to the female restroom of an adjoining establishment. It was also reported that the exit had been locked from the outside by the club's security guards, who had thought that a riot had taken place.[7]

Casualties

The final death count was reported as between 160[11] and 162 people, the latter being the figure cited by the trial court that heard the ensuing criminal case.[7] In addition, at least 95 people were injured.[7] The death toll was one of the worst ever for a nightclub fire,[8] though it was subsequently surpassed by the República Cromañón nightclub fire.

Investigation and aftermath

Six people involved with Westwood Entertainment were tried before the courts for criminal charges of "reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and multiple serious injuries".[7] [11] On March 16, 2001, the president of Westwood Entertainment, Hermilo Ocampo, and the corporation's treasurer, Ramon Ng, were found guilty by a Quezon City trial court and sentenced to a four-year prison term, and fined 25 million pesos each.[7] [11] They and their co-accused (who were acquitted) were also ordered to indemnify the families of the deceased 150,000 pesos, and 100,000 pesos to the injured. The trial court concluded that Ocampo and Ng failed to provide fire exits and sprinklers inside the establishment, that the fire extinguishers they placed were defective, and that the lone exit was through a small door that swung inward and did not meet the standard set by the building code.[7] A former employee who was among the survivors of the fire has claimed that the inward swinging doors were installed because it was good feng shui.[12]

In November 2001, twelve officials of the Quezon City government were charged before the Sandiganbayan for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicides and multiple serious injuries. They were accused of allowing Ozone Disco to secure a certificate of annual inspection in 1995 "despite the inadequacy, insufficiency and impropriety of the documents submitted by the owners".[11] In 2007, one of the twelve – the former city engineer and building official of Quezon City, Alfredo Macapugay – was discharged from criminal and civil liability after the Sandiganbayan concluded that he had no hand in the issuance of the necessary permits to Ozone Disco management.[13]

On November 20, 2014, seven officials of the Quezon City government were found guilty under the Philippines' anti-graft and corrupt practices law by the country's anti-graft court Sandiganbayan. They were held liable for negligence in connection with the approval of the building permit and issuance of certificates of occupancy for the company which owned Ozone. The club's owners were also found to be liable.[14] The court affirmed its decision in April 2015.[15]

Former site and developments

The structure, which housed the Ozone Disco, remained standing in Timog Avenue, Quezon City but was not commercially used for over 20 years after the incident.[16] For a few years after the incident, there was a makeshift memorial on the site featuring photographs of the victims.[17] This has since been dismantled, and no marker or official memorial commemorates the incident or its victims.[18]

In March 2015, a week before the 19th anniversary of the tragedy, the Ozone Disco building was finally demolished. Relatives of the victims still visit the site.[19] As of October 2016, the former location of the Ozone Disco Club is currently occupied by a branch of the rice porridge chain GoodAh!!!, co-owned by television host Boy Abunda.[20]

In media

Notes and References

  1. News: March 20, 1996 . Disco in Manila, for 35 People, Held 400 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20080311080354/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E2DA1739F933A15750C0A960958260 . March 11, 2008 . January 29, 2008 . New York Times Online . Associated Press.
  2. Web site: The Philippine Disaster Management System . January 29, 2008 . Esteban . P/Supt. Romulo . Col. Danilo Fabian . June 3–4, 2004 . Philippine Center on Transnational Crime . June 28, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070628200801/http://www.pctc.gov.ph/updates/tpdms.htm . dead .
  3. Press, Associated. "A look at deadly nightclub fires ." Washington Times. January 27, 2013
  4. "What went before : Ozone disco is No.6 in deadliest nightclub fires ." Philippine Daily Inquirer. January 29, 2013
  5. Web site: Ducky Paredes . March 22, 1996 . The Fire in the Ozone . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200045/http://www.duckyparedes.com/archives/Malaya_Archive/1996/1996.03.22.Malaya.doc . March 3, 2016 . January 29, 2008 . Ducky Paredes:Columns from Malaya and Abante . Malaya . DOC.
  6. Web site: Philippine Court of Appeals . Philippine Court of Appeals . October 25, 2005 . Chua v. Pua, CA-G.R. CV No. 80583 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080529204233/http://ca.supremecourt.gov.ph/cardis/CV80583.pdf . May 29, 2008 . January 29, 2008 . Supreme Court of the Philippines.
  7. News: Sol Jose . Vanzi . Light Sentences for Ozone Disco Owners . Newsflash . Philippine Headline News Online . March 12, 2001 . January 29, 2008 . April 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140419044206/http://www.newsflash.org/2001/03/hl/hl013279.htm . dead .
  8. News: Associated Press . At Least 150 Are Killed in Disco Fire in Manila . New York Times Online . March 19, 1996 . January 29, 2008 . March 11, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080311080341/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E2DC1739F93AA25750C0A960958260 . live .
  9. Throwback: 1996 TVP report on Ozone fire. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/PDB9PHDoNPs . 2021-12-21 . live. November 20, 2014. April 14, 2016. YouTube.
  10. News: At Least 150 Are Killed in Disco Fire in Manila . March 19, 1996 . The New York Times . Associated Press . August 5, 2024.
  11. News: What went before . Inquirer.net . Philippine Daily Inquirer . August 23, 2007 . January 29, 2008 . March 12, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080312214508/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view_article.php?article_id=84162 . live .
  12. Web site: Nightclub door that trapped fire victims supposedly 'good feng shui'. Jaymee T. Gamil. inquirer.net. November 22, 2014. May 16, 2015. July 22, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150722004738/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/652226/nightclub-door-that-trapped-fire-victims-supposedly-good-feng-shui. live.
  13. News: Jocelyn . Uy . Ex-city engineer cleared in Ozone case . Inquirer.net . . August 22, 2007 . January 29, 2008 . March 12, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080312214420/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=84122 . live .
  14. News: After 18 years, 9 found guilty in Ozone inferno . Gamil . Jaymee . Kristine Felisse . Mangunay . Marlon . Ramos . November 21, 2014 . . March 16, 2018 . en . March 17, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180317035836/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/652030/after-18-years-9-found-guilty-in-ozone-inferno . live .
  15. Web site: Cayabyab . Marc Jayson . 2015-04-24 . Sandiganbayan denies appeals of Ozone Disco fire convicts . 2022-07-02 . INQUIRER.net . en . July 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220702052940/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/687536/sandiganbayan-denies-appeals-of-ozone-disco-fire-convicts . live .
  16. News: Johanna Sampan . Ozone Disco tragedy remembered . Manila Times . March 18, 2008 . May 2, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080402010048/http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/18/yehey/metro/20080318met8.html . April 2, 2008.
  17. Web site: Ozone Disco fire. Korina. Sanchez. Philstar.com.
  18. Web site: Ozone Disco: Remembering the Tragedy. November 21, 2014. March 5, 2021. December 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211217011224/https://www.theurbanroamer.com/ozone-disco-remembering-the-tragedy/. live.
  19. Web site: Last Look: Ozone Disco. Fernando G. Sepe, Jr.. February 17, 2015. ABS-CBN News. April 14, 2016. April 26, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160426122037/http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/02/17/15/last-look-ozone-disco. live.
  20. News: Remember the former Ozone Disco? It's now a food chain owned by Boy Abunda. Philippine Entertainment Portal. Llanera. Melba. October 13, 2016. October 13, 2016. November 7, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107023001/http://www.pep.ph/lifestyle/food/34017/remember-the-former-ozone-disco-its-now-a-food-chain-owned-by-boy-abunda?ref=latest_feed_1. live.
  21. Web site: Calvento Files: Biktima ng Ozone feat. Diether Ocampo/ Marvin Agustin (Full Episode 18) Jeepney TV . Youtube.com . . 28 October 2022 . en . October 28, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221028035633/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH24nmRemwc&gl=US&hl=en . live .
  22. Web site: 'Grandma' sees Unique Salonga carving his own musical path. Emil. Hofileña. Rappler. August 16, 2018. March 17, 2019. December 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181212002328/https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/music/209596-unique-salonga-grandma-album-review. live.
  23. ALAALA NG OZONE | Case Unclosed|work=youtube.com|url-status=live}} Two days before the premiere of Case Unclosed, on September 29, 2008, then-Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.], father to incumbent Quezon City mayor Joy Belmonte, released an ordinance that requires the owners of entertainment establishments to use swing-in/swing-out doors.

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