This story takes place in the city of Tijuana, Mexico.
The tragedy happened on December 22, 1951. There was a big Christmas party for children living in poverty and they were to receive gifts, food and everything that a Christmas party implies. This was taking place at a multi-purpose room located in a 3-story building; the first floor was used as a small movie theater and the third floor was the multi-purpose room, I don't know what the second floor was for.
At about 22:00, the operator of the movie theater was informed that there was smoke coming out of the multi-purpose room, and he hurried to get the people out of the theater. They could get out safely, but unfortunately the children, some local personalities and other adults, didn't.
The four emergency exits were shut, so there was only one door available to escape the fire. It was started by a malfunction of the Christmas tree, and the fire spread rapidly.
That night, about one hundred people died and probably there were as many injured attendants. There were not enough ambulances so taxi drivers helped by taking people to hospitals. Also, firefighters from National City, San Diego and Chula Vista, CA helped putting out the fire.
I had to give you the whole background before getting to the ghostly stuff. That place is still there, and some brave inhabitants dare to call it home. It looks dreadful from the outside, and once you walk in there is some kind of pressure on the chest that, unless you are familiar with the paranormal, makes it hard to remain calm.
You can still see the damage of the fire, for some reason it was never repaired. At first sight, you know that there is something extraordinary going on in that building. I visited the place and talked to some of the people who are currently living there, all of them agreed to have seen or heard strange "things" at different times of the day.
A lady who has been living at The Coliseum ("El Coliseo" is the name of the building) for the last 15 years, affirms that she has seen a bunch of children rushing to one of the rooms (the building also works as a hotel) and then disappear inside. Also, she states that sometimes at night you can hear screaming in the room where the fire started.
I tried to capture some ghosts or any evidence of what happens there but I was unlucky, however, the feeling of sadness and dread are enough evidence for me.
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Used to live in Tijuana in the past never heard about the Coliseo building fire
It still stands as the most horrible tragedy that has ever happened in Tijuana.
I used to live in that third floor at the front of the building where a
Radio station used to be at the time of the fire, which razed the whole third floor
From the back of the building towards the front.
I lived there from 1978 to 1981, I remember one night that I was awake while the rest of
My family was already asleep, I always had problems to go to sleep in my teens.
I heard a small girl's voice like that of a five y.o. Coming from the wall at my left,
Calling "mamá", the walls of the building are very thick and muffle all sounds coming from
Adjacent apartments so I was really puzzled, my mother who was awakened by the voice answered
Thinking it was one of my three sisters calling her "mamá" but they all answered that it wasn't them
My mother realizing this, addressed the voice in a maternal tone to appease her, the sound of the voice
Was an anguished call for "momma", really made me empathize with it.
We used to hear strange sounds all the time, one that was very annoying was the sound of a marble being
Repeatedly thrown to the floor of the upper apartment, needless to say that from the fourth floor to the fifth
Are completely empty to this day, only Don Roberto the old consierge lived at the top sixth floor of the building
He was a young man when the fire happened, he worked there from the inauguration until his death about nine
Years ago, he also referred stories of things he saw and heard, strange things.
Everyone who has ever lived in the building can attest to the veracity of such occurrences, I still have more stories
To tell if interested.