Five dead in fire at inn in Porto Alegre identified; victims were buried | Rio Grande do Sul

The victims buried during the afternoon were:

• Silvério Roni Matim
• Dionathan Cardoso da Rosa
• Maribel Teresinha Padilha
• Julcemar Carvalho Amador

One fifth victimburied during the morning, name will not be disclosed by g1 and by RBSTV The family request.

Five other people have not yet been identified by the General Institute of Expertise (IGP). Among the 15 injured, five people remain hospitalized, while the rest have already been discharged.

Four victims were taken to two chapels in the São João Cemetery, in the North Zone of Porto Alegre. The wakes lasted about half an hour. The coffins remained closed because the bodies were charred.

At the funerals, there were no family members or friends of the dead. The victims were people in socially vulnerable situations.

Burial costs were covered by a funeral home. The Secretary of Social Development of Porto Alegre, Léo Voight, attended the cemetery. He is the holder of the portfolio responsible for the municipality’s contracts with Pousada Garoa, the company that owns the pension that caught fire.

Representatives of social movements fighting for housing and in defense of the homeless population were also at the funeral and demanded a rigorous investigation of the case.

In the early hours of Friday, an inn on Avenida Farrapos, in Bairro Floresta, went up in flames. Firefighters arrived around 2am to fight the fire, which was only brought under control three hours later. Among the victims, two were found on the first floor; five, in the second; and, in the third, three more people.

The origin of the fire is still unknown. The Fire Department states that the fire spread quickly, compromising people’s ability to leave the scene. It also says that there was no fire prevention plan (PPCI) nor permit to operate as a residential activity.

The space housed people in socially vulnerable situations. Of the 30 people who were there, 16 were supported by subsidies from the city hall. The last contract with the municipality, in December 2023 for another 12 months, cost R$2.7 million.

The owner of the inn, Andre Luis Kologeski da Silva, stated that the fire was arson. The version is contested by the Civil Police, which sees no signs of crime in the incident.

In a note released on Saturday (27), those responsible for Pousada Garoa state that they are “fully collaborating with the competent authorities to clarify the details of this event”.

“The safety of our guests and employees is our priority. We are fully committed to providing all necessary support to people. Furthermore, we continue our work to assist the homeless population, reinforcing our social commitment”, says the statement.

Fire in the Capital: causes are still being investigated