Asuncion, Paraguay
At least 464 people were killed this week when a fire swept through a crowded supermarket in Paraguay. Police said many of the dead were probably trapped inside because a manager ordered guards to close emergency doors shortly after the fire started to keep out looters. One survivor, Victor Catan, said he stumbled blindly through the smoke to find a way out. “I managed to get out with my son,” he said, “but my wife didn’t make it.” Search teams were still sifting through the smoldering ruins of a parking garage that was crushed when the main floor collapsed in the intense heat. Police said more victims might have been incinerated in their cars.
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