The government of Cameroon announced on Sunday that 16 people were murdered in a nightclub fire in the capital, Yaounde, caused by pyrotechnics.
“The initial report shows 16 dead and eight seriously injured” after the “accidental fire” broke out on in the early hours of Sunday, the communications ministry said in a statement. The tragedy strikes as Cameroon hosts the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament.
The main room of Liv’s Night Club in the capital’s affluent Bastos area, which is home to embassies and diplomat mansions, was engulfed in flames.
“The tragedy, which was caused by explosions from the fireworks often used in these places, first consumed the building’s ceiling, resulting in two very loud explosions, causing panic and a stampede,” the ministry said.
“When we arrived it was a panic, there was a strong fire with lots of smoke,” an official with the firefighters told AFP on condition of anonymity.
According to an AFP correspondent, there were some burned things in front of the club that suggested a fire, but the building’s exterior was neither harmed or charred.
Despite continuous conflict in the country’s west, where English-speaking insurgents proclaimed independence from the majority French-speaking government in 2017, Cameroon is hosting the AFCON competition.
