Police seek criminal charges over nightclub fire that killed 241 people in Brazil

Criminal charges are being sought against 16 people in connection with the nightclub fire that killed 241 people in southern Brazil earlier this year, police said on Friday.

Inspector Marcelo Arigony told a news conference that the mayor and fire chief of Santa Maria, the city where the fire occurred, could also be held responsible for the accident because of the negligent safety inspections of the nightclub.

But he said that because Mayor Cezar Schirmer is an elected official, the police cannot file charges against him and only the Rio Grande do Sul State Supreme Court and the city's legislature can determine if he is charged.

Only a military court can charge the fire chief, because the department is under the control of the police, which is part of the military.

The fire roared through the crowded, windowless Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria on January 27, filling the air with flames and thick, toxic smoke.

Arigony said the band performing at the club lit a flare, which ignited flammable soundproofing foam on the ceiling.

The cyanide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide released by the ensuing fire was what killed the people inside, he said.

"The smoke descended like a black mattress and people breathed that smoke, that was probably cyanide, and they started losing senses," he told the news conference.

The inspector said police were seeking murder charges against the nightclub's two owners, their manager, and three band members, among others.

The lesser charge of manslaughter is being sought against several city officials for granting the club an operating permit.

The investigation showed numerous "irregularities," including flawed fire extinguishers, overcrowded of the building, and only one door leading in and out of the club.

Results of the investigation will be forwarded to state prosecutors, who will decide whether to file the charges sought by police.

The disaster, the worst fire of its kind in more than a decade, raised questions about whether Brazilian authorities can ensure safety in such venues as the country prepares to host next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.