Clubs face surprise inspections

JUSTICE Minister Doros Theodorou yesterday said nightclubs and bars were to undergo surprise inspections from police.

Speaking at a news conference, Theodorou and Chief of Police Tasos Panayiotou said measures were to be taken to ensure the safety of customers at establishments which operate into the early hours.

The Minister said: “Club and bar owners have to understand the importance of having a safe establishment and the importance of their responsibility when people go into their establishment. Can you imagine what would happen if a fire broke out in an underground club with about two thousand people inside? If there were not enough fire exits then the death toll would be catastrophic.

“Police will have to make sure that the establishment is safe while also checking if the fire exits are not blocked with fridges of boxes. If there aren’t enough exits then loss of life could well be from a stampede from people panicking rather than the actual fire itself.”

Panayiotou added that inspections were already being carried out by police officers and that there was a detailed account of clubs and bars that did not pass safety standards for 2004.

“We will conduct thorough inspections on the capacity of the club in relation to how many people are inside at the time, while we will inspect the fire exits and whether there are enough of them. It is also the duty of the police and the fire services to see if any flammable material is inside the establishment, especially if it is located underground like in a basement.” lways the cause of a fire breaking out in such establishments.

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