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Cameroon nightclub fire: More than a dozen dead in Yaounden fire | News

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At least 16 people have been killed and eight others injured in a fire at the Yaounde club after the fire broke out, the government said.

At least 16 people have been killed in a fire at a well-known nightclub in the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde, the government has said.

The fire was caused by fireworks used at the club, he said.

The fire engulfed the main room of Liv’s Night Club in the capital’s elegant Bastos district, which houses embassies and diplomatic residences. Authorities said the fire had spread to a place where gas could be stored for cooking.

“We are still at the investigative level to find out the names and nationalities of the dead and injured,” government spokeswoman Rene Emmanuel Sadi said on Sunday.

“The tragedy caused by the fireworks that are commonly used in these places first consumed the roof of the building, and caused two very loud explosions, causing panic and stampede,” the Ministry of Communications said.

“There were loud explosions of six gas bottles, and they created panic in the neighborhood.” He added that eight others had been injured and taken to Yaound Central Hospital.

A security guard at the time of the fire said “it happened very quickly”.

“It was just after 2am and most of the customers arrived around 3am … there are a lot of casualties,” the security guard said.

The event took place during the month when the country gathered thousands of footballers, fans and match officials from all over the continent. African Nations Cup.

In a statement, Paul Biya, President of Cameroon, called for calm and reassured AFCON players and fans.

The tournament was originally scheduled for 2021 for teams from 24 countries, but was later postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In response to a presidential directive, the local police have launched an investigation.

‘I lost my brother’

About 100 people gathered on Sunday outside the funeral home of a military hospital in the Ekounou district of Yaounde to learn about the news of relatives.

“I have no information. I woke up this morning and was told that my 38-year-old son was dead, ”said a woman named Fidele.

“I was waiting for my brother and his friends yesterday evening, but they didn’t arrive. And around 7 a.m., I got a lot of phone calls asking if my brother was dead or alive. So I came to the funeral home and identified her body, ”said Claud, Fidele’s daughter.

“I lost my little brother,” said Stephane Hamza, 38.

“He was a good and kind guy who worked at this club for about two months. When I heard about the explosion, I came to the funeral home and was told he was dead. ‘

In Doualan, the country’s economic capital, at least five nightclubs have been partially or completely burned down by wildfires in the past six years.



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