Four persons have been sentenced to long prison terms in Brazil for the deaths of 242 clubgoers in a fire during a party in 2013.

The fire started when members of a band performing at the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, California, fired flares that lit up the ceiling.

A rush occurred, and the majority of the victims perished from smoke inhalation.

Two of the club's proprietors, as well as two members of the band, were convicted guilty of murder and attempted murder.

According to a police inquiry, sparks from a flare fired on stage by the Gurizada Fandangueira band caught fire to the nightclub's insulating material, causing the deadly vapors.

The facility had no working fire extinguishers and insufficient emergency signs, according to the results. Only two emergency exits were discovered by officials.

The fire broke out at a university party, and the majority of the casualties were students aged 17 to 30. More than 600 persons were injured as a result of the accident.

14 survivors and 19 additional witnesses testified during the trial. The proceedings were aired live on television and other media channels, capturing the interest of a large audience.

The nightclub owners, Elissandro Spohr, and Mauro Hoffmann were sentenced to 22 and 19 years in jail, respectively. Marcelo de Jesus dos Santos and Luciano Bonilha Leo, members of the band, were each sentenced to 18 years in prison.

The four were, however, promptly released and will stay so until their attorneys file an appeal.

The accident, which was one of Brazil's deadliest fires, prompted a nationwide review of safety laws in nightclubs and other comparable events.