Arrests made in Brazil fire, funerals begin

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SANTA MARIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian police say they’ve made three arrests and are seeking a fourth person in connection with a nightclub fire that killed more than 230 people.

Police investigators inspect the entrance of the Kiss nightclub in Brazil. (AP Photo/Nabor Goulart)

Inspector Ranolfo Vieira Junior said at a Monday press conference that the arrests are for investigative purposes. He says the detentions have five-day limits.

He declined to identify those arrested or the fourth person sought.

More than 230 people died early Sunday during the fire at a university party in southern Brazil. Police have said they think a band’s pyrotechnics show ignited sound insulation on the ceiling, causing the blaze.

The Zero Hora newspaper quotes lawyer Jader Marques as saying his client Elissandro Spohr, a co-owner of the club, was arrested. The paper also says two band members were arrested.

Funerals began Monday in the city of Santa Maria, Brazil, where the blaze took place.

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