(Newser)
–
Police have arrested three people in connection with the fire that killed more than 230 nightclub-goers in Santa Maria, Brazil, yesterday: One of the club's co-owners, its chief of security, and a member of the band Gurizada Fandangueira, the BBC reports. Police are reportedly seeking another club co-owner as well. The club's safety certificate expired last year, one co-owner has reportedly confirmed.
The owners have reportedly received death threats online, as have the surviving members of Gurizada—its accordion player is among the dead. The band's guitar player told a local radio interview that the band's spark-generating machine may have caused the fire, but added, "It's harmless; we never had any trouble with it." The first funerals were held today, as Brazil declared a national day of mourning and postponed an event marking 500 days until the 2014 World Cup.
