Most Stardust victims 'had probably already died' before fire engines arrived, says coroner
That Long Almost Their These Campaigned Finally A Ones' To Photo: For Ago, Circumstances Of The Deaths Gareth Photos Inquests, Have Year Examine Collins Families Began Loved Chaney/ Fresh
The majority of people who perished in the Stardust tragedy “had probably already died” at the scene by the time the first fire engine arrived, despite it doing so less than 10 minutes after the initial 999 call, a jury has heard.
This was due to the speed at which the fire spread, coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said, as she finished summarising the evidence given at these inquests by telling the jury what the fire experts had told them across eight days of testimony.
“I urge you to carefully consider the totality of the evidence,” she said.
In the early hours of February 14, 1981, at the close of a disco dancing competition, a fire quickly ripped through the Stardust nightclub at a time when hundreds of young people were still inside. It resulted in the deaths of 48 young people.
Families had long campaigned for these fresh inquests, that finally began almost a year ago, to examine the circumstances of their loved ones' deaths. Their legal team Phoenix Law successfully petitioned the Attorney General to grant the new inquests, and he deemed there had been an “insufficiency of inquiry” at the original inquests into the 48 deaths.
Over 11 months, the jury has painstakingly heard testimony from over 370 witnesses, including staff, patrons, first responders and fire experts. And it was with these fire experts that the coroner closed out her summary of the evidence before the 13-person jury in Dublin on Friday.
Dr Cullinane said: “It is important to say at this stage, you are not required to make findings of fact in relation to the fire where there is insufficient evidence for you to make such a finding. If the expert view is it was not possible to answer certain questions with confidence, you should be slow to answer those questions yourselves.”
She said theories may have been put forward but they must base their findings on the evidence available.
The coroner referenced the stark video that was shown to the jury of a recreation performed by scientists of how the fire may have developed, in a replica built of the west alcove with the same materials that were present in the Stardust. In that video, it showed just how quickly the fire spread.
The coroner said the expert evidence was that the temperature in the Stardust as the fire began to spread into the main ballroom would have exceeded 1,200C in less than two minutes. Furthermore, extraction vents and heating ducts contained plastic that would have melted and burned to form droplets that fell from the ceiling.
While the fire was first spotted inside the Stardust in the west alcove, witnesses in the local area testified to seeing a fire atop the Stardust outside in the minutes before it was seen inside.
“Look very carefully at those observations and the expert opinions to determine whether the fire was seen outside before it was seen in the west alcove,” Dr Cullinane said.
She discussed the expert evidence on both where and how the fire could have started, with theories posited that it could have started due to an electrical fault in the roof space or by a fault in the hot press in the main bar backing onto the west alcove.
Regarding whether or not it was started involving some “human agency” in the west alcove, the coroner said there was “no direct evidence” to support this whatsoever.
“It’s important to say, despite extensive garda investigation, there is no evidence that someone was seen in that area who caused it accidentally or deliberately,” she said, adding that the jury could not base any of its findings on “speculation”.
She also dealt with the expert evidence that pointed to the breach of numerous byelaws at the Stardust, including the chaining of exit doors at certain points, the lack of fire safety training or fire drills, and not maintaining the means of escape unobstructed and immediately available at all times.
The final stage will now begin next week, when the coroner charges the jury and advises them what verdicts are open to them before they retire to consider these verdicts.