Chicago nightclub panic leaves 21 dead - National Report

Chicago police and fire department officials are investigating the deaths of at least 21 people who succumbed after hundreds of patrons at a near South Side restaurant/nightclub panicked and, trampled one another as they rushed to leave.

At JET press time, authorities could not establish the cause of the chaos, however, it was reported that a fight had broken out between two women at the E2 club. At some point a chemical agent--either pepper spray or mace--was sprayed causing club patrons to scramble for the exits.

Police Commissioner Terry said investigators were trying to sort out conflicting stories about the source of the Mace or pepper spray.

At the time of the disturbance there reportedly were more than 1,500 people in the two-story establishment. The first floor houses the Epitome restaurant, the second houses the E2 dance club where the fight broke out. There were conflicting reports as to the number of people on each floor.

What followed next was "like a scene from the Titanic," according to one survivor.

"Everybody smashed; people crying, couldn't breathe," said partygoer Reggie. "Two ladies next to me died. A guy under me passed out."

Hundreds of screaming people reportedly rushed for the exits of the crowded nightclub, when they were discovered to be blocked, patrons stampeded down a staircase to the club's front door.

Amishoov , 30, was checking his coat on the second floor when people started rushing past him. The flow of the crowd swept him back down the stairs where he fell on top of several people, he said. He was trapped there until firefighters rescued him about 30 minutes later. "It wasn't nothing but two girls fighting," he said. "Why'd they have to spray Mace?"

Cory, 33, of Chicago went to the club at about 3 a.m. to pick up two friends. As he waited outside, he saw people inside the club start to back up against the glass front door.

"You could see a mound of people. People were stacking on top of each other, screaming and gagging, I guess from the pepper spray. The door got blocked because there were too many people stacked up against it," he said.

Most deaths appeared to have happened on the front staircase of the nightclub, and were due to cardiac arrest, said Chicago Fire commissioner James . He called the blocked doors elsewhere around the building a "contributing factor" in the deaths and injuries.

City officials said the building's owners and the operators of the club had been warned before by the city. "There was a court order in effect that bans the use of the second floor of this building. The management of this business is well aware of this court order and has chosen to violate the court order," said .

"Lives were tragically and senselessly lost; pinned down by a stampeding crowd," he said. "We will get to the bottom of this."

The Rev. Jesse later arrived and urged community members to help each other. "My people are overwhelmed with the suddenness of this. At a time like this, you have to lean on your faith," said.