An explosion struck a nightclub in Azerbaijan's capital Baku early on Sunday, setting off a fire that killed one person and injured 31, the Associated Press reported.
The explosion was believed to have been caused by a gas leak and investigations were ongoing, the AP said, citing an Interior Ministry spokesperson.
"Very sad news about casualties as a result of explosion at the club downtown Baku," US Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim tweeted. "My condolences and prayers."
Blast due to a gas “tube” at a nightclub in Azerbaijan’s Baku kills at least one, wounds 24 people authorities sayhttps://t.co/ejfWuD6fRT pic.twitter.com/YWqX1Is9dx
— TRT World (@trtworld) April 3, 2022
Some 24 of the injured had been hospitalised, most with burns, the AP quoted a Health Ministry spokesperson as saying.
Azerbaijan's health ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside working hours. The interior ministry could not immediately be reached.
The country's emergency services were called to the club at 03:00 (23:00 GMT on Saturday) and extinguished the fire before it could spread, the AP said, citing a statement from the department.
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