SAINT-LAURENT-DU-PONT — 1970 · Major Tragedy
Club Cinq-Sept Fire
On the night of 1 November 1970, fire broke out during a concert at the '5-7' dance hall in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, Isère. Decorations made of plastic and polyester ignited quickly and released toxic smoke. Emergency exits had been padlocked to stop people entering without tickets, and the entrance turnstiles only turned inwards. A total of 146 people, mostly young, were killed, including every member of the rock band on stage. At the 1972 trial five people, among them the operator, the mayor and contractors, received suspended prison sentences. The disaster led to tighter fire safety rules for public venues in France.
- Date
- 1970
- Place
- Isère, France, Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, FR
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 45.3897, 5.7350 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1 November 1970Fire broke out at the 5-7 dance hall; 146 people died.
- 16 November 1970A satirical magazine was banned after a cover alluding to the tragedy.
- 1972Five people received suspended sentences for involuntary manslaughter.
- 1976A memorial to the victims was inaugurated.
Sources
- INA — 1970 : l'incendie du 5-7 ina.fr ↗
- Actu.fr — Isère : 146 morts dans une boîte de nuit actu.fr ↗
- BBC On This Day — Nightclub inferno, 1970 news.bbc.co.uk ↗
- INA
- Actu.fr
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.