A large number of people reacted after the tragic event that took place at Colectiv Club on Friday evening (October 30), where 30 died and some 180 were injured, and wanted to help the victims with whatever they could. More than 1,500 people donated blood in Bucharest in one weekend, which is a record for Romania. Employees in blood transfusion centers said the only time they saw so many people queuing up to donate blood was at the Romanian Revolution in 1989.

“816 people gave blood on Friday night and on Saturday. […] Yesterday, there were 774 donors in Bucharest,” said doctor Doina Gosa, manager of the Blood Transfusion Centre in Bucharest, cited by local Agerpres.

The numbers include both donors from the Transfusion Center as well as those who donated blood in hospitals.

People keep donating blood, with the number of those who came to the Transfusion Center on Monday morning reaching about 300. According to Doina Gosa, it is important that people also donate blood later this week, as well as next week.

“We ask them to also come Thursday and Friday, next week, because if they come all at once they have to stay in line, we can’t handle all of them, and is also tiring for them,” said Gosa.

People started donating blood on Friday night, right after the fire in Colectiv Club in Bucharest. In the following days, they also tried to help with food, money, or any other kind of support. Several local companies as well as individuals pitched in with food and coffee for those who donated blood, as well as for doctors - Coca Cola, Danone, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Mega Image,Aqua Carpatica, McDonalds, among others,  as well as with free rides - Uber and Black Cab - to the blood donation centers.

Meanwhile, several hotels in Bucharest - Hotel Cismigiu, Ibis, Ramada and Moxa, as well as several hostels offered free accommodation to relatives of the victims or of those injured and still in hospital.

The full list of possibilities to help any of those involved in this tragedy is here (in Romanian). To get involved, email contact@colectiv.info.

About 8,000 people also rallied on Sunday in downtown Bucharest to commemorate the 30 people who died in this tragic event. According to local authorities, the number of deaths could double.

Unprecedented tragedy: Nightclub fire kills 30, injures 180 during Bucharest concert. 

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com