47 dead in nightclub fire

Forty-seven people were killed and at least eight others injured after a fire at a crowded Caracas nightclub in Venezuela.

The fire erupted at about 11.50pm on Saturday at La Guajira, the Globovision TV network reported.

Grieving relatives and friends stood outside the charred club in a poor district of the Venezuelan capital.

About 90 firefighters responded to the blaze, which engulfed the small dance club.

Firefighters at the scene said the blaze may have started in a kitchen or may have been caused by a short-circuit in electrical wiring.