The scene outside Paceville’s PlusOne nightclub on Sunday. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Security footage showed that a teenager had introduced gas into the club’s ventilation system, spreading it throughout the bar, according to one of the owners of the Paceville nightclub where 74 young people were injured in a stampede on Saturday night.

Carlo Schembri defended the health and safety measures in place at PlusOne and said the owners were cooperating fully with the police in their investigation of the incident because they had nothing to hide.

“The place was not beyond capacity and the emergency exits were working as they were supposed to,” he said, amid reports that the club’s two exits led directly into adjacent establishments.

“The footage shows that many people used the emergency exits but the gas was so strong you couldn’t breathe. In the panic, the majority naturally went for the main entrance,” Mr Schembri said.

Together with Hugo Chetcuti and Frankie and Raymond Grima, Mr Schembri is a director of Three Sixty Ltd, which operates PlusOne nightclub as well as Havana and the gentlemen’s club Steam.

He decided to comment after this newspaper reported yesterday that 20 people under the legal drinking age were among those injured when a glass banister at the club’s exit stairwell collapsed during the stampede.

‘We are not shirking our responsibilities’

Nightclub staff could not be expected to examine the ID card of every single person to check their age, he said.

“We’re not shirking our responsibility but with a turnover of thousands of people every night and most entering in big groups it’s simply not realistic.”

He insisted bouncers had clear instructions not to allow underage people in, but pointed out that many teenagers used fake ID cards or borrowed their parents’ documents.

The owners had cooperated in a police investigation some years ago after a group of young people attempted to get in using fake ID.

“What can I benefit from a 14-year-old being in my club? People that age don’t even spend any money; they do all their drinking before they arrive,” he said.

In the wake of the accident, the government announced plans to substantially increase the fine for club owners admitting underage patrons.

It has also pledged more enforcement of existing regulations.

While welcoming the increased fines, Mr Schembri argued that teenagers who tried to get into clubs should face the same penalties as owners.

He claimed that a girl celebrating her 16th birthday at the club before the accident was accompanied by her mother for a portion of the evening.

Mr Schembri called on parents to assume more responsibility.

Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the accident, which was reportedly triggered when a noxious gas was released inside the crowded club, causing a stampede as patrons rushed outside.

The police said last night no arraignments would be made pending the completion of the magisterial inquiry.