At least 245 killed in Brazilian nightclub fire
That is the death toll left by the fire in the Kiss nightclub in the city of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul state, which began at 2 am today.
According to Colonel Adilomar Silva, regional coordinator of civil defense, most of the victims would have died of suffocation and the death toll is expected to increase.
Silva stated that within the club a pyrotechnics spectacle was carried out at the time of the fire. However, the authorities claim that the reason of the fire is still unknown, and said that it is still under investigation.
It is also estimated that there are hundreds of wounded, although there is no official count for the moment.
Kiss Nightclub is popular among young people in Santa Maria. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people attend the site per night on weekends.