MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Attorney General says 7 responsible in store fire.

The Paraguayan Attorney General's Office on Monday filed indictments against seven people for their alleged roles in the super-store blaze that killed 464 people and injured more than 200 others

"We have already presented indictments against seven people - the owners Juan Pio Paiva and his son, Victor Daniel Paiva, and security guards Daniel Areco, Ever Sanchez, Ismael Alcaraz and Jorge Penayo - for voluntary manslaughter," prosecutor Edgar Sanchez told to the press.

Security guard Humberto Casaccia was indicted on charges of failing to provide help. Sanchez said the maximum prison sentence for voluntary manslaughter is 25 years, while failing to provide help carries a maximum sentence of two years.

The blaze began shortly before midday in the kitchen of the Ycua Bolaños super-store dining area. Several eyewitnesses and survivors said security guards blocked the exit to prevent looting as confusion and panic reigned inside the fiery store.

"We have direct testimony from people who survived the fire. There are people who gave the order and people who carried out the order," said Sanchez, referring to the grounds for the indictments presented by the Attorney General's Office.

"As far as the indictments, tomorrow we begin the task of conducting examinations with firefighters, police and foreign experts who are coming to help," said Sanchez.

Store owner Paiva, whom prosecutors have already charged with "negligent homicide" and other crimes, denied once again that store executives had ordered the doors locked, and claimed that accesses were blocked when the roof caved in.

"Part of the roof collapsed and completely blocked the exit when they (customers inside the store) were going to leave and that's why the people couldn't get out and were trapped inside," the businessman told reporters.

Paiva said that customers who were able to reach the doors were not able to get out because "there are four bullet-proof glass doors, but they open inwards and the people trapped inside were pushing outwards." The store owner said he was not "aware" whether security guards armed with rifles had been ordered to prevent anyone trying to escape the blaze from leaving the building.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing emergency exit doors, but said they were tightly secured with locks on the outside