ToNiePokój escape room fire

A fire in the ToNiePokój escape room in Koszalin, Poland, on 4 January 2019, killed five teenage customers and injured an adult employee. The deceased, all 15-year-old girls, were celebrating one of the girls' birthdays when a fire, fueled by leaking gas cylinders, broke out in the escape room's waiting area. Since the girls were in a room with no door handle (they were expected to find it as part of a game) and the windows were obstructed by "makeshift walls", they were trapped and died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Previous visitors to the ToNiePokój escape room had complained of a strong gas smell, but local officials were not made aware of the complaints. The duty employee who was to supervise the girls, Radosław D., had left the building to get change for the cashier and was gone when the fire started. Upon his return, he attempted to enter the victims' room, but was blocked by a wall of flames.

Four people were arrested and tried for their responsibility in the fire: Miłosz S., the designer and organizer of the escape room; Miłosz's grandmother Małgorzata W., in whose name the business was registered; Miłosz's mother Beata W.; and Radosław. The Koszalin district court sentenced Miłosz and Radosław to two years in prison and imposed a 10-year ban on their conducting any sports, recreation or cultural activities. Małgorzata W. and Beata W. were sentenced to one year in prison, an additional three-year suspended sentence, and were banned from running a business for 10 years. The court also awarded 200,000zł compensation to each victim's family.

Because of the fire, Poland implemented new regulations for entertainment venues, requiring for them to undergo inspections by fire officials at least every two years. The regulations also required ample evacuation routes. The ToNiePokój escape room fire is mentioned in the directive as justification for the rule.