This tragedy shocked the whole of Poland. Five teenage girls died in an escape room fire in Koszalin. The incident happened at the beginning of 2019. In the second half of November, a court verdict was issued in this case. The organizer and employee of the escape room were sentenced to two years in prison. Suspended for a year – mother and grandmother who helped in the business. The punishment is too little – say the parents of the deceased girls and file a complaint. Has any conclusion been drawn from this tragedy in the last five years?
Escape Room is a team game against time. All participants spend up to an hour and a half in one room.
– The Polish escape room industry is probably the best tested entertainment industry in the country. Moreover, escape rooms in Poland set trends in terms of safety and quality – says Sebastian Piepiora from the Association of Escape Room Owners, owner of an escape room in Gdańsk.
The safety rules were introduced in 2019 after a tragic fire at an escape room in Kosalin, in which five teenage girls died. Julia, Karolina, Victoria, Malgorzata and Amelia celebrated the birthday of one of them. They were in the “Mrok” room when a fire broke out in the adjacent room, caused by a malfunctioning gas heater. They felt trapped because there was no handle on the door and the only window was boarded up and barred. The employee left and when he returned it was too late to save him. The girls died due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
See also: Death of five teenagers in escape room. Parental investigation and court ruling. “Shamefully low” The verdict in this case was issued in the second half of November. The organizer and employee of the escape room were sentenced to two years in prison. Mother and grandmother of Milosh S. helped in business, they were suspended from work for a year.
– Unusually low penalty. I'll say it again: openly. The degree of guilt is insufficient – says the representative of the teenager's parents, lawyer Grajina Psiuch. Therefore, the parents of the deceased girls will file a complaint.
– I don't want any parent, for whom the child is the most important thing, and it was the same for us, to never feel anything like what we did, – says Anna Barabas, Karolina's mother.
Investigations were started all over Poland. “There were many violations”
According to the National Association of Escape Room Owners, everyone has come to a conclusion after the tragedy.
– The building, be it residential, commercial, service, entertainment or, for example, a warehouse, must meet a number of safety rules, both construction and fire safety, – says the senior foreman. Karol Kierzkowski, spokesman for the press of the Commander-in-Chief of the State Fire Service.
– Until 2019, there were no regulations governing such a specific activity as escape rooms. Moreover, it happened that the guard even refused to conduct the inspection – notes Sebastian Piepiora.
After this incident, inspections of such facilities began across Poland. Firefighters ordered the closure of more than 60 escape rooms. Almost half of them did not meet the requirements and posed a potential risk to their participants.
– These violations were numerous and defects related to evacuation or installation were found in practically every escape room, – says Karol Kierzkowski.
What has changed?
Now, in such entertainment establishments, first of all, the evacuation route should be marked clearly and legibly.
– Owners and managers of facilities are obliged to carry out evacuation before starting work, as well as once every two years, – informs Karol Kierzkowski.
The rooms are monitored. Game security is always monitored by a service worker who cannot leave his workstation as long as there is someone inside. – The cameras are there so that we can see what is happening in these rooms, what the group is doing, not only to give them advice, but also to check if everything is okay in these rooms and if the participants are breaking the rules they don't – says Karolina Stawiszynska from Tkalnia Zagadek in Łódź.
'Abnormally low sentence' in escape room fire trial Jan Blaskowski/Fakty TVN
Each participant must read the rules before entering. Mandatory. Children can only enter under adult supervision.
– A participant who feels bad or just wants to finish the game can leave the room at any time, even without notifying the staff, by opening the door or pressing the handle, – says Karolina Stawisinska.
– Some rooms will be permanently open after the change of regulations. You can leave just by pressing the handle – adds Sebastian Piepiora.
“The awareness of the owners of this type of facility has increased significantly”
In the Szczecin escape room, you have to press a button to get out. In addition, there is constant communication with participants.
– There were cases when someone was too hot, too cold, or someone needed to go to the toilet immediately, there was always the possibility to call us via walkie-talkie – says Joanna Fijalkowska from the escape room in Szczecin.
READ ALSO: Kossalin. Five 15-year-old girls died in an escape room fire and a trial began. Accused: this is my personal Calvary, the fire brigade checks that the owners comply with the rules. – From time to time we carry out tests to check if we still meet the requirements we have to fulfill, – notes Joanna Fijalkowska.
– These are undoubtedly safe places now, but this is because the consciousness of the owners of this type of objects has increased, – concludes Karol Kierzkovsky.
Escape rooms are an increasingly popular form of entertainment. There are more than half a thousand of them in Poland.
– The World Escape Room Championship will be held in Poland, – notes Sebastian Piepiora.
Main photo source: TVN24
