The Ozone Disco Fiasco Last March 18, 1996

Another 1990s tragedy that I remember hearing about was the Ozone Disco Tragedy. If I were teaching business ethics right now, I would use the Ozone Disco case as a case study. It deserves attention because of how tragic it was. I heard some bodies were never recovered. I watched this episode of the Ozone Disco Tragedy on Case Unclosed. Once again, I'll apologize if the videos I post don't have English subtitles. I may consider finding an application to provide a transcript soon, but that's no guarantee! Pretty much, if you're not a Filipino then just read through the blog entry without watching the video first! 

I looked into an article from The Flip Science called "Playing with fire: Understanding the Ozone Disco tragedy" which was written by Mikael Angelo Francisco, during the pandemic. The pandemic ceased several social gatherings, that included discos. Back then, I used the Ozone Disco tragedy as a reason to oppose dancing classes. However, dancing in itself, wasn't the problem. The problem was how Ozone Disco transpired. Honestly, I even feel what one of my high school mathematics teachers said, "If they listened to their parents, they would've still be alive today." I'll not mention his name since he's a private citizen.

Just reading it gave me chills. That's one reason why I gave up my dream of becoming a doctor. I'm easily squeamish, sorry to say. Frog dissection isn't the same as human injuries. I could watch a frog dissected in biology class. However, I would probably vomit if I saw the bloody injuries, on set. I would like to share the images from The Flip Science which are taken from ABS-CBN News. If only I could access the said videos in this day and age!

ABS-CBN News Screenshot

This screenshot from The Flip Science can be detailed as follows:

It’s safe to say that for many of Ozone Disco’s patrons, the biggest draw was the low barrier to entry. Aside from meals and drinks at affordable prices, the club also slashed 50% off the cover charge on Mondays. This made Ozone Disco a popular haunt for young partygoers, especially those looking for a place where they could hang out and forget their academic woes.

And March 18, 1996 was a particularly special Monday, as it marked the end of the school year for many students. Joining in the celebratory mood, Ozone Disco offered a graduation promo; some who were there said that drinks were at half price, while others said that the club completely waived its entrance fee.

Either way, the promo was effective. That night, about 350 patrons and 40 employees partied the night away within the walls of the 50-square-meter club—an area that could only safely hold up to 35 people. It was tantamount to cramming 390 people into a two-bedroom condominium unit.

Because of its limited dimensions, every inch of Ozone Disco was intended to maximize its patrons’ partying experience.

The DJ booth was located in front of the dance floor, next to a storage room for technical equipment. The ceiling was reportedly adorned with decorative egg cartons, and the walls around the DJ booth were lined with acoustic foam for noise and sound control. At the side was a semi-circular bar, with tables and chairs for patrons.

Ozone Disco also had a mezzanine, an elevated platform about halfway between the ceiling and the floor. It functioned somewhat like an indoor balcony, where customers could stand for a better view of the dance floor. According to some accounts, this was hastily added to accommodate the influx of guests that management was expecting on the night of their graduation promo—an extension constructed sans any city permits or inspections.

The venue had only one emergency exit next to a VIP room, which led to the kitchen of an adjoining restaurant. To get to the dance area, guests had to enter through the building’s main doors, then through another door.

Curiously, the doors opened inward, meaning they had to be pulled, not pushed, for anyone to get out. The owners believed that this configuration would send money and good fortune flowing into the club, based on feng shui.

Given the club’s capacity, the first hint of trouble that night should have been the sheer number of guests. The next sign came at approximately 11:45 PM: a flash of light from the feet of disc jockey Mervyn Reyes.

Thinking that this was merely part of the club’s special effects display, the patrons partied on, oblivious to the danger that was imminent. In a matter of seconds, the spark traveled all the way to the ceiling, with the decorative elements around the DJ booth serving as accelerants.

By the time Reyes realized what was going on, the wires above him were already aflame. “I tried to announce there was a fire, but the microphone stopped working,” Reyes said in an interview with The Independent.

Moments later, the music was interrupted by a series of explosions. A girl from the crowd screamed, and chaos erupted. Almost as if on cue, the ceiling burst into flame, becoming a literal firewall that crashed down on their heads. The flimsy light fixtures collapsed along with the entire mezzanine, crushing the people standing beneath them.

A stampede formed, making it increasingly difficult for anyone to escape. Fearing for their lives, the patrons frantically made their way to the door—and the lethal consequences of prioritizing Chinese geomancy over common sense quickly became apparent.

The people who somehow managed to make it out of the main area found themselves dealing with the building’s main inswing doors. Because of the way the doors opened, the crowd was effectively blocking their own way out.

There were also some reports indicating that the guards outside the building heard the commotion from within the club. Thinking that there was a riot taking place, they allegedly locked the doors.

Regardless, the panicking patrons were eventually able to open the doors—but they weren’t prepared for what came next.

Inside a burning building, the flames themselves aren’t the only threat.

There’s the seemingly endless supply of smoke, for starters. Depending on the materials used in creating and outfitting the structure, the resulting smoke from a building fire can be a cocktail of extremely toxic and asphyxiating substances.

In an enclosed space, most of the smoke coming from a fire tends to be carbon monoxide. This odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas is the result when wood, oil, coal, and other fuels do not burn completely. For example, as a fire rages on inside a building, it uses up the oxygen in the air and replaces it with carbon dioxide. As the compound accumulates in the air, it prevents the fuel from fully burning up, prompting the release of carbon monoxide. When you inhale it, carbon monoxide poisoning takes place, replacing the oxygen in your red blood cells and rapidly causing potentially fatal damage to your tissues.

Hydrogen cyanide is another serious hazard. Similarly, it is the byproduct of natural fibers (like cotton and silk) and synthetic polymers (like polyurethane and some types of foam rubber) that aren’t completely consumed by fire. Since these materials are typically used in building construction and insulation, hydrogen cyanide gas is quite common in building fires. At high concentrations (more than 300 mg/m3), exposure to hydrogen cyanide gas can kill within minutes.

And then there’s the phenomenon called backdraft (or backdraught). At some point, a fire inside a building will use up all the available oxygen. In this situation, the superheated gases can abruptly explode into a ginormous fireball when a sudden rush of oxygen comes in.

Like when two inswing doors suddenly open, for instance.

Obviously, a lot of stuff was never considered. Did the owners prioritize geomancy in the overall operation? It's alleged that the late John Gokongwei said, ""I don't rely on feng shui. I believe hard work brings us good luck and success." Obviously, the lack of emergency doors was bad. It's one thing if the front doors had inward opening doors. However, emergency doors are supposed to open outward. Perhaps they believed that trusting the geomancy alone would bring them success. Never mind that one way or another, common sense was ignored when too many people entered the disco house!

The Flip Science also says the following about the ozone disco fire: 

Over the years, much has been said about why Ozone Disco turned out to be so deadly. Subsequent investigations revealed critical flaws and oversights: the absence of fire sprinklers, defective fire extinguishers, an inadequate fire exit, and other evidence pointing to non-compliance with standard fire safety regulations. Somehow, the expedited construction process managed to bypass inspections and proper permit acquisition. Legally, Ozone Disco should not have been allowed to operate in the first place.

The lack of any nearby fire hydrants made matters worse, greatly hampering the firefighters’ capacity to respond. According to fire officer Moises Marcelo, it took two hours to put out the fire.

All of these, on top of the overcapacity and poorly designed doors, contributed to Ozone Disco becoming a full-on firetrap.

In business ethics, this would be prioritizing profits over safety. Sure, businesses need profits. However, in trying to get a hasty profit, one can end up killing future profits. This is a completely bad record for any businessman. If they were my tenants, no more apologies, and I would refuse to let them come in. It jeopardized the community's safety. In fact, what's disgusting to know is that some were sentenced to simply 10 years, while others continued to hold office, despite this disaster!

By next year, it will be 30 years since Ozone Disco passed. No one should ever strike it away from the pages of Philippine history. Today is tomorrow's history. Yesterday's news must be studied in today's history. As I look into the news, these disasters must be taught in our schools! These should be taught in civics classes, busienss ethics classes, and any classes applicable!