Six people died and at least 300 were injured in a fire at a night club in Belo Horizonte, in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.
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More than 1,000 people were in the "Caneco Mineiro" night club when a fire was sparked by fireworks let off on stage where a samba orchestra was about to perform.
Witnesses said that the night club was engulfed in flames in less than two minutes. Firefighters brought the blaze under control, and most of those hospitalized were treated for smoke inhalation and light injuries.
The club did not have emergency exits, and many people were forced to escape through the windows, and lower themselves to the ground on ropes.
"There was only one door. It was sheer terror. It was very hard to get out. Everyone wanted to leave," the lead singer of the group that was to perform, told a local radio station.
AFP