A witness at the Stardust inquests has described seeing people on fire coming out of the burning building and told of his efforts to put them out.
Mark Swaine was giving evidence today at the Dublin District Coroner's Court. Forty-eight people died in the 1981 disaster, when a fire swept through the premises in the early hours of St Valentine’s Day.
Mr Swaine was 18 years old at the time of the fire.
He told the court today that after he escaped the blaze, he was "tending" to people who made it out and who were on fire, saying he was "trying to put them out".
He said there was a lot of people coming out on fire and a lot of crying and screaming. He said that people were "smouldering", their clothes burning.
He said he was trying to put out the flames, using "just my hand and arms", and trying to settle people down.
Des Fahy, KC, representing families of the victims thanked Mr Swaine for all his efforts on the night, saying it was "a very brave thing to do".
The court heard that once outside, Mr Swaine also tried to break windows to help those still inside.
"I saw some girl's hands in the windows pressing against it."
Earlier, he told the court that his brother had initially alerted him to something wrong inside the disco.
Describing seeing the flames, he said: "it looked like a very small fire… I thought it would be dealt with quickly."
He also told the court how the speed in which the situation deteriorated "was just incredibly quick. From the time we noticed the fire, around 20 seconds later we saw a lot of smoke coming over where we were sitting."
Along with his girlfriend, he then headed towards exit three.
"By the time we go there, the smoke was even worse. It was black smoke",’ he told the inquests.
Mr Swaine said when they got into the passageway, there was a number of people ahead of them.
"There was a lot of screaming, a lot of panic," he said.
He said the exit doors were not open at that stage.
He told gardaí in 1981 how he heard people shout "get that chain off the door for f***s sake".
The court was told how he himself did not see a chain. He also described how the people in front were kicking the door and it then burst open.
The court also heard how Mr Swaine had told the 1981 Keane Tribunal that after he made it out of exit 3, he looked around and saw that the doors were closed back over and nobody was coming out of it.
The inquests also heard today from another survivor who said exit three was locked with a padlock and chain when she first reached it.
Christine Fullam, who was 31 years old at the time of the fire, told the court that she was alerted that something was wrong by her friend, and described the "black smoke swirling across the ceiling".
She told the jury how she looked over at the main entrance, exit 2, and said it was "jammed" and then she headed for exit 3.
When she reached the doors, they were shut, she said.
"The doors were locked, we couldn’t get out, end of story."
She said chains were wrapped tightly around the bars and she said: "I remember holding the padlock in my hand.
"I pulled at the lock several times but it had no effect. I tried to open it for what seemed two or three minutes," she added.
After "some time", three tall men then ran into the passage way. She said today, "they were running at the door, jumping at it and kicking it."
After the third time, running at it, the door burst open.
She agreed with Sean Guerin, SC, representing families of the victims, that not only was it locked, it took considerable force to force it open.
Earlier, Georgina McCready, who was aged 16 at the time of the blaze, described the closed doors of exit three "bulging" outwards after she made her escape out of the main entrance.
The court was told how she heard screaming from those inside the door.
She agreed it was it like people were banging against it from the inside and then it being violently pushed, and bursting open.
The court also heard how she saw smoke seeping through the door frame before the doors opened.
The inquests continue.
