Brazil Nightclub Fire: More Than 230 Dead

Police say at least 232 people have died in a fire that swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil.

Around 117 others were injured after the blaze broke out while a band was performing at the Kiss club in the southern city of Santa Maria at about 2am (local time).

Police earlier said more than 245 people had died in the fire.

It is thought pyrotechnics being used for the concert may have caused the blaze.

Authorities told reporters that fireworks erupted during the show and one hit the roof.

Fire chief Guido de Melo said there was panic after the fire started and many revellers were trampled.

He said the main cause of death was asphyxiation.

Men try to break through a wall to help the victims

Partygoers joined firefighters in wielding axes and sledgehammers, pounding at windows and walls to break through to those trapped inside.

Teenagers sprinted from the scene desperately trying to find help - others carried injured and burned friends away in their arms.

Michele Schneid, a 22-year-old cashier, told local media that people began to shout "Fire!", setting off the stampede.

The fire took place in Santa Maria

"Many people ran for the bathrooms and wound up dying suffocated," he said.

A security guard reportedly said the venue was at its maximum capacity of between 1,000 and 2,000.

It is believed the building's soundproofing apparently caught fire and smoke from this then asphyxiated victims.

The blaze spread quickly and produced a thick black smoke.

Members of the Red Cross pictured at the site

It is thought the venue only had one emergency exit and firefighters made a hole in the wall to help people escape.

The victims' bodies had been taken to a gymnasium in the city for identification, according to police spokesman Major Cleberson Braida.

Brazilian President Dilma Roussef has cancelled a series of meetings at a summit of Latin American and European leaders in Chile's capital Santiago, and headed to Santa Maria.

"It is a tragedy for all of us. I am not going to continue in the meeting (in Chile) for very clear reasons," she said.

Britain's Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said: "I am deeply saddened by the news of the tragic accident in Santa Maria.

"My thoughts and sincere condolences are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, and I wish a swift recovery to the hundreds who are now being treated in hospital."

Santa Maria is a major university city with a population of around a quarter of a million.

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