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Janaúba massacre

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Janaúba Tragedy
LocationJanaúba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Date5 October 2017; 7 years ago (2017-10-05)
9:30 – 10:00 (BRT (UTC-3))
TargetEmployees and students from the Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil Gente Inocente
Attack type
Arson, mass murder, murder–suicide
Deaths14 (including the perpetrator)
Injured37
PerpetratorDamião Soares dos Santos
MotiveUnknown

On the morning of Thursday, 5 October 2017, Damião Soares dos Santos, a night watchman at daycare Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil Gente Inocente in Janaúba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, invaded a classroom where dozens of children between the ages of 3 and 7 were taking part in normal school activities. Santos locked the door and doused fuel on several children, employees and himself. The resulting fire killed fourteen, including himself, ten children and three adults and wounded thirty-seven.

Fire

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Prior to the fire Damião Soares dos Santos, was dismissed from work after taking annual leave the month before for a health condition. He went to the daycare to hand in his medical certificate before setting the fire.[1] Shortly after setting the fire he also set himself on fire.[2] A fire took over the premises, killing four children at the location, and leaving 37 injured. After being taken to the hospital, at least four more children, a teacher and the arsonist died.

At least one teacher attempted to stop him and rescued some of the children before she was overcome by injuries.[3]

Victims

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A child, Matheus Felipe Rocha, 5, died on October 9,[4] and Geni Oliveira Lopes Martins, 63, died on November 6,[5][6][7] and Jéssica Morgana Silva Santos, a teacher, died on December 4.[8][9][10] After the death of Gabriel Carvalho Oliveira, 5, on January 11, 2018, the death toll rose to fourteen.[11][12] Some of the wounded suffered from smoke inhalation. Some victims were transferred to Santa Casa de Montes Claros, about 130 km from Janaúba. The most severely burned victims were transferred using aircraft to the João XXIII hospital in Belo Horizonte, about 550 km away, which has specialized burn care. The case moved the country and had international repercussions.[13][14][15][16]

The deceased were named;

  • Damião Soares dos Santos, 50, the arsonist
  • Ana Clara Ferreira Silva, 4
  • Luiz Davi Carlos Rodrigues, 4
  • Juan Pablo Cruz dos Santos, 4
  • Juan Miguel Soares Silva, 4
  • Renan Nicolas Santos, 4
  • Yasmin Medeiros Salvino, 4
  • Cecília Davine G. Dias, 4
  • Talita Vitória Bispo, 4
  • Matheus Felipe Rocha, 5
  • Gabriel Carvalho Oliveira, 5
  • Jéssica Morgana Silva Santos, 23
  • Heley de Abreu Silva Batista, teacher, 43
  • Geni Oliveira Lopes Martins, 63

Perpetrator

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The night watchman, Damião Soares dos Santos (21 May 1967, Porteirinha, in the northern region of Minas Gerais – 5 October 2017), resided in Janaúba, in same name of Brazilian state where his family lived.[17] He chose his father's three-year death anniversary for the daycare fire. Police found gas in his home and two days before the fire, he told his family that he was going to die and that that would be his "gift" to them. He was the youngest sibling out of eleven. According to neighbours, he was a discreet individual who sold home-made popsicles to children.

Aftermath

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The mayor of Janaúba, Carlos Isaildon Mendes, described the tragedy as "catastrophic." He asked for help from the state government, which provided helicopters and hospitals, and neighboring municipalities, which provided ambulances and medicine for burn victims.[18] He also declared a seven-day mourning period.[19] Governor Fernando Pimentel decreed official mourning for three days and determined that all state security and health forces work in the care of victims and in the investigation, as well as the creation of an emergency command post in the city.[20]

On a Twitter post, President Michel Temer said: "I, as a father, imagine that this must be a very painful loss, I hope that these things will not happen again in Brazil. I express my solidarity with families."[21]

On 8 October Temer granted teacher Heley de Abreu Silva Batista, who died in the fire, the National Order of Merit. In a statement, the Special Secretariat for Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic said that the title is awarded to "those who have given examples of dedication and service to the country and Brazilian society, [such as] teacher Heley Batista, who sacrified her own life to save the lives of her students, showing courage and heroism that have touched us all."[21] The teacher was known to have managed to save a few of the children and also for having fought against the perpetrator.

The federal government also released 8.7 million reais for the reconstruction of the burned-out daycare center and for the construction of two other educational institutions, one of which will be named after Professor Heley Batista. A memorial will also be built in honor of the victims.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Brazil nursery attack: Children set on fire in Minas Gerais". BBC. 6 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  2. ^ Westcott, Flora Charner and Ben (6 October 2017). "Four children killed after Brazil day care center set ablaze by security guard". CNN. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  3. ^ Ferreia, Fabricio (6 October 2017). "Ten killed in daycare fire, 43 injured". Agência Brasil. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Sobe para 11 o número de mortos na tragédia de Janaúba (MG)". Jornal Hoje (in Brazilian Portuguese). 9 October 2017. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  5. ^ Morre mais uma vítima do incêndio em creche de Janaúba Archived 6 November 2017 at archive.today, Terra (November 6, 2017)
  6. ^ Funcionária vítima de ataque em creche de Janaúba morre em hospital de BH Archived 7 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine, G1 (November 6, 2017)
  7. ^ Morre mais uma vítima do incêndio criminoso em creche de Janaúba Archived 7 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Estado de Minas (November 6, 2017)
  8. ^ Professora morre após 2 meses no hospital, e incêndio em creche de MG chega a 13 mortes Archived 6 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine, UOL (December 4, 2017)
  9. ^ Mais uma vítima do ataque à creche em Janaúba morre em Montes Claros Archived 4 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine, G1 (December 4, 2017)
  10. ^ Corpo de professora vítima de ataque à creche é enterrado em Janaúba Archived 6 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine, G1 (December 5, 2017)
  11. ^ Após três meses internado, menino vítima de tragédia em Janaúba morre em BH Archived 11 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine, G1 (January 11, 2018)
  12. ^ Após três meses, morre criança vítima de tragédia em Janaúba Archived 14 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Estado de Minas (January 11, 2018)
  13. ^ "Death Toll at Brazil Day Care Center Rises to 9". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  14. ^ Charner, Flora; Ben Westcott, Ben (6 October 2017). "Four children killed after Brazil day care center set ablaze by security guard". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Vigia coloca fogo e mata crianças dentro de creche em Janaúba, no Norte de Minas". O Estado de Minas. 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  16. ^ Lisboa, Adriana; Pereira, Marina; Peixoto, Juliana (5 October 2017). "Segurança ateia fogo em creche de Janaúba e mata crianças e professora". Globo.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  17. ^ Ricci, Larissa; Paranaiba, Guilherme; Vale, João Henrique do; Lobato, Paulo Henrique (6 October 2017). "Distúrbio psiquiátrico e obsessão: saiba quem era o vigia que matou crianças em Janaúba". Estado de Minas. Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  18. ^ "'É catastrófico', diz prefeito sobre tragédia com crianças em creche de Janaúba" (in Portuguese). EM.com.br. 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  19. ^ Lui, Kevin (5 October 2017). "Children Set on Fire in Brazil Nursery School Arson Attack". Time. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Fernando Pimentel vai a Janaúba após tragédia em creche com mortos" (in Portuguese). G1. 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  21. ^ a b "Michel Temer honours heroine of Janaúba with National Order of Merit". BrazilGovNews. 8 October 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  22. ^ Sara Alves (10 October 2017). "Temer libera R$ 8,7 mi para construir duas creches em Janaúba (MG)" (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2017.

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