More than 200 killed in Brazil nightclub fire

More than 200 people have died and at least 100 more have been injured after a fire broke out in a nightclub in Brazil last night.

The Mirror reports that up to 2,000 people were in the Kiss nightclub in the city of Santa Maria when the fire broke out after a pyrotechnics show.

Reports suggest that a firecracker was lit on stage, which caused the acoustic insulation in the ceiling to catch fire. Emergency services rushed to the night spot, but many partygoers had already died from smoke inhalation or were trampled as others rushed to escape the flames.

Guido Melo, commander of the fire brigade, told BBC World that it was not yet possible to give an exact death toll.

He said: "Fire services are looking for other victims. We can not give an exact number of victims. People started to panic and ended up stepping on each other."

Major Gerson da Rosa Ferreira, who was overseeing rescue efforts for the military police, said that 159 bodies had already been identified and removed from the night club.

Pictures posted on Facebook show fire engines at the scene, while others show paramedics treating the injured, surrounded by a number of bodies. Television footage showed people crying outside the club, while firefighters used sledge hammers to knock down a wall to create an exit.

Survivor Aline Santos Silva, 29, told Reuters: "It was really fast. There was a lot of smoke, really dark smoke. We were only able to get out quickly because we were in a VIP area close to the door."

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