On 4 December 2009, partygoers packed the Lame Horse, a nightclub in the Russian city of Perm, to celebrate the club's eighth anniversary. Then, in an instant, fire broke out and chaos ensured. Details of the incident were captured in a video shot by a patron and circulated throughout international media. The video shows dancers performing a choreographed routine to Queen's 'We Will Rock You' when a host suddenly stops the music. 'Ladies and gentlemen, we are on fire! Leave the hall!' he exclaims over the microphone. Pyrotechnics used during the performance had ignited a fire that was spreading through the ceiling, which was coated with a highly combustible combination of plastic and dry straw. The plastic was expanded polystyrene, a material that produces toxic smoke containing high levels of carbon monoxide during combustion. As occupants made their way towards the exit, many were unaware that the black smoke filling the building was more life-threatening than the flames. 'When I turned back, I saw drops falling off the ceiling and then there was a lot of smoke,' one survivor told the BBC.
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