July 21, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 10,1423

LIMA, July 20: A fire ripped through a packed disco in the Peruvian capital on Saturday after a fire-eater ignited curtains when he blew out a plume of flames, killing at least 24 people and a lion and tiger that were part of the show, officials said.

Firefighters said 24 people were confirmed dead and more than 40 were injured. More victims were feared trapped inside the Utopia disco in an upscale neighborhood of Lima.

The fire started in the small hours of the morning during a party, also featuring live animals in cages, to celebrate the disco’s second month open to the public.

Police said the blaze, which was brought under control by morning, was started by a fire-eater who set curtains on fire during his act.

It was the second major fire in Lima in less than 12 months. In December, Peru vowed to step up fire safety standards after more than 300 people died when a fireworks store in a poor shopping district of central Lima caught fire.

But authorities said the disco, which was operating illegally, lacked such fire safety features as clearly marked exits and sprinklers.

Canal N cable television said alcohol, not water, was thrown on the flames, causing them to spread rapidly.

Moises Gordillo, who escaped the blaze, told RPP radio people had thought it was part of the show when the ceiling caught fire. Another witness described the ensuing panic.

“It all happened incredibly quickly, everything happened in a matter of seconds. It was so fast people didn’t realize,” the man, who declined to give his name, told Canal N. He said he had been among the first of about 1,000 revelers inside to escape.

“There were too many people inside, you couldn’t move,” he said, adding some had jumped from the second floor to escape.—Reuters