Authorities: 17 dead in nightclub fire in Cameroon's capital
Authorities in Cameroon say at least 17 people have died after a fire broke out at a nightclub and spread to an area where cooking gas was stored
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A fire erupted at a popular nightclub in Yaounde, Cameroon's capital, setting off explosions and killing at least 17 people, government officials said Sunday.
The tragedy comes as the central African country hosts thousands of soccer players, fans and match officials from across the continent for the month-long African Football Cup of Nations tournament.
A government statement said the fire erupted at the Livs Nightclub in the capital's Bastos neighborhood, setting off a series of explosions. Workers said it was a short-circuit that customers initially thought was a fireworks show. The explosions went off once the blaze spread to a place where cooking gas was being stored, causing panic, the workers said.
The government said in addition to the deaths, some people were injured and taken to the hospital.
“We are still at the level of investigations to find out the names and nationalities of the dead and the wounded," said government spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi.
In a statement, Cameroonian President Paul Biya called for calm and assured players and fans of their safety.
The championship, featuring teams from 24 countries, originally was scheduled for 2021 but then was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.