Pray for Santa Maria

At least 232 people died and 131 were injured early Sunday when a fire tore through a nightclub packed with university students in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria, near Porto Alegre, on January 27, 2013. 

As a brazilian and someone who likes going to nightclubs I feel extremely sad and feel their pain very close to me. It was a club full of students. Most of them from the same classroom. It's also a small town so probably they all knew each other. I can't event imagine how hard it is going to be for those who survived. Even thou some of them managed to save their own lives, I'm sure they're scared and very sad because they lost their friends. That can't be easy to cope. I met my BFF when I was in college and we all know that we make a lot of good friends during this time so I can imagine how hard it's going to be for those who lost their friends and loved ones. 

I don't know them. They are not my friends. The closest person I know who were there is the nephew of my step mother's best friend - he survived but lost all his friends - but still I'm sad and feel sorry for them. I hope authorities will find the responsibles for this tragedy that could've been avoided if they had a better emergency system and if the owners were not so negligents. Extinguishers were not working properly and the club license was expired. But nothing will bring the victims back nor ease their families and friends' pain. Congrats to the firefighters and for those who volunteered to help to save lives. 

President Dilma Rousseff cancelled her meetings in Chile and flew to Santa Maria to comfort the victims' families. Nice job, Dilma ! 

If you are near Santa Maria, you can help donating blood. Here are the places you can go to donate blood for the 101 injured people:

Porto Alegre
-- Av. Bento Gonçalves, 3722 - Partenon - Porto Alegre

Santa Maria-- Alameda Santiago do Chile, 35 - Bairro Nossa Sra. De Lourdes

Alegrete-- Rua Gen. Sampaio, 10 - Bairro Canudos

Caxias do Sul-- Rua Ernesto Alves, 2260 – Centro

Cruz Alta-- Rua Barão do Rio Branco, 1445

Palmeira das Missões-- Rua Nassib Nassif esquina Gen. Osório, 351

Passo Fundo-- Av. Sete de Setembro, 1055 – Centro

Pelotas-- Av. Bento Gonçalves, 4569 – Centro

Santa Rosa-- Rua Boa Vista,401 – Centro 

My prayers are with them and their families and friends. 

R.I.P and God be with you! <3