It's understood that the fire broke out after fireworks exploded before it spread to the roof of the nightclub.
A fire in a nightclub in Cameroon has taken the lives of 17 people and left seven others seriously injured.
The fire took place in a nightclub in the Bastos neighbourhood in Yaoundé, the capital city of the west African country.
According to
SkyNews, the fire broke out on the roof of Liv's Nightclub, and was caused by exploding fireworks. The fire then spread to an area of the club where cooking gas is kept at 2:30am on Sunday morning.
It was initially reported that the fire was started by a short circuit.
An investigation into the incident is currently underway.
In a statement, Government Spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi said that the victims of the fire are still being identified.
Mr Sadi said: "The tragedy, which was caused by the explosions from fireworks regularly used in these places, first consumed the ceiling of the building and then caused two strong explosions, causing panic and a stampede."
He added: "We are still at the level of investigations to find out the names and nationalities of the dead and the wounded."
It is understood that the death toll from the fire could rise. It was initially reported that 16 people had been killed.
Sunday saw approximately 100 people attend the hospital morgue waiting for news regarding their loved ones.
One woman told the
Associated Foreign Press: "I don’t have any information. I woke up this morning and they told me that my 38-year-old son is dead."
Another said: "I've lost my little brother. He was a good, kind boy who has been working in this club for about two months. When I heard about the explosion, I came to the morgue where I was told he was dead."
