The owner of a Buenos Aires nightclub where a fire killed 192 people was indicted Monday on involuntary manslaughter charges in the country's worst fire disaster in decades.
The indictment of Omar Chaban in the December 30 fire came as authorities investigated reports that emergency exits were locked during the rock concert to prevent people from entering without paying.
Chaban, who has been in police custody since the fire, could face a prison sentence of eight to 25 years if convicted of the charges against him. The judge who filed charges against Chaban also ordered a $19 million lien on his assets on Monday.
Meanwhile, authorities are also investigating whether someone in the crowd set off a flare that ignited lining on the club's ceiling, unleashing dense smoke that killed many of the victims. Although the club had a reported capacity of 1,500, authorities said they were looking into accounts that 4,000 people were in the club at the time of the fire.
