3 convicted in Paraguay's deadliest fire

A father and son who owned a supermarket swept by a fire that killed 374 people were sentenced to prison Saturday for manslaughter and endangerment.

Juan Pio Paiva, 64, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and his son Daniel Paiva, 40, received 10 years, according to the ruling read by German Torres, president of a three-judge panel.

About 700 relatives and friends of those killed in the Aug. 1, 2004, fire — the deadliest in Paraguay's modern history — protested outside the court complex that the sentences were too light.

"Assassins! Assassins!" the crowd chanted.

Most of those killed in the fire asphyxiated as thick smoke swept through a supermarket of the Ycua Bolanos chain in the Paraguayan capital, Asuncion.

Some 2,000 people were in the building, many of them families with young children, when the fire broke out. Prosecutors argued that doors were deliberately ordered shut to prevent looting, trapping many.

A private security guard whom prosecutors accused of blocking exits was given a 5-year sentence for negligence, Torres said. Torres said three business associates of Paiva were cleared of any blame, saying they did not have operational responsibilities for the supermarket.

In 2006, furious relatives and friends of the victims rampaged through a court room and rioted in the streets when court panel announced it was divided 2-1 in favor of lighter charges but was unable to read its verdict because of the disturbances.

The court cited the father's responsibility for the overall safety of the public as chief owner of the supermarket. It said his son was responsible for the food court area where experts said they suspected flames began in inadequately maintained equipment.

Some 450 people were injured the blaze. Authorities say they have not confirmed the deaths of nine other people whose bodies may have been incinerated.

"This kind of justice is injustice!" shouted one demonstrator, Lys Torres, leader of a group of victims' relatives. She vowed to fight for appeals for longer sentences.

The burned-out supermarket in downtown Asuncion has remained shuttered, scrawled with messages and tributes to loved ones.