Cameroon nightclub fire kills at least 16

A fire at a nightclub in the Cameroonian capital Yaoundé early Sunday morning left at least 16 people dead and eight seriously injured, according to news agencies.

According to Agence France-Presse news agency, fireworks used inside the venue, Livs Night Club, burned through the ceiling of the building and resulted in two explosions that caused the stampede.

Video shot outside the nightclub, in the capital’s upscale Bastos district and close to many foreign embassies, showed some charred objects but no visible signs of damage to the building’s facade on Sunday. The fire happened very quickly and took place just after 2 a.m., a security guard who witnessed the scene said, according to Agence France-Presse.

The fire occurred in Cameroon, on the west coast of Central Africa, host this year’s Africa Cup of Nationsa tournament of teams representing 24 countries from all continents.