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A man has been charged over a fire at an escape room in Poland in which five teenage girls died.
The 28-year-old suspect was charged with "deliberately creating the danger of a fire in the escape room" and "unintentionally causing the death of people in a fire", a spokesman for the district prosecutor said.
Ryszard Gasiorowski said the suspect, identified only as Milosz S, had neglected to ensure escape routes that could have allowed the girls to flee during the blaze.
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Tributes have been left outside the building
Five girls aged around 15 were killed in the fire in the city of Koszalin on Friday night, as they celebrated a birthday.
Police spokesperson Monika Kosiec said firefighters found the girls' bodies locked in a room close to the fire, but not directly hit by the main blaze.
Officials have said asphyxiation was the probable cause of the deaths, and a gas leak was the most likely cause of the blaze.
Fire chief Leszek Suski said the escape room had no emergency evacuation route.
Escape rooms, a party attraction in which users are locked in a room and must answer puzzles and complete tasks to get out, are extremely popular among young people in Poland.
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Marks from the fire can be seen on the building
The suspect's lawyers said he was "deeply distraught" by the deaths and that he denies the charges against him. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison.
There are more than 1,000 escape rooms in Poland, and officials have announced tougher regulation of the popular attractions following the tragedy.
Poland's interior minister, Joachim Brudzinski, said fire safety controls would be ordered in all similar attractions.
Previously, there was no official requirement for fire safety certificates at such locations.
Officials shut down 13 escape rooms for safety flaws over the weekend, and urged people to report any concerns with venues.
The deaths have prompted an outpouring of grief in Poland, with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki issuing condolences to the victims' relatives and a day of mourning announced in the city of Koszalin.
(SKY NEWS)
