Brazil night club fire kills at least 90, local media say

PanARMENIAN.Net - At least 90 people have died after a fire swept through a nightclub in southern Brazil, local media say.

They say the fire began when a band on stage started a fireworks display at the Kiss nightclub in the city of Santa Maria, in Rio Grande do Sul state.

Reports say there was only one exit and panic spread as people tried to get out. Many victims reportedly died from inhaling toxic fumes.

Brazil's Globo TV says bodies are being removed from the scene.

The fire is now out.

A reporter at the scene told local radio that the nightclub had a capacity for up to 2,000 people and was believed to be full on a Saturday night.

Thick smoke engulfed the venue after acoustic insulation caught fire, officials say.

Fire crews reportedly knocked through a wall to help those trapped inside escape.

The death toll could be as high as 130, the reporter said.

Hundreds of people have been taken to hospital, BBC News reported.