Suspected arson at Discovery nightclub in Darwin
Posted
More than 500 people have been forced to evacuate a Darwin nightclub after a fire was deliberately lit.
The blaze started inside the laundry of the Discovery nightclub on Mitchell St about 2:00am.
It is believed a person lit a pile of flammable items there.
Staff were able to extinguish the fire but the building sustained smoke and water damage.
Police said security footage has been very useful in following a number of leads which will be followed up by detectives today.
Max Cashman-Politis was dancing with a group of friends when the music stopped and the lights switched on.
"We were all just really confused, I though it was part of the song at first and then I thought it might have been part of a show," he said.
"I personally felt pretty calm about it but I know some people were a bit freaked out."
"We were all just herded out and then people just mulled about and went their separate ways and there was just rumours and stuff that someone lit a fire and that it was electrical and stuff".
Topics: fires, disasters-and-accidents, arson, crime, law-crime-and-justice, darwin-0800
