'101 killed' in Russian nightclub explosion

An explosion and fire apparently caused by pyrotechnics tore through a nightclub in the Russian city of Perm early today, killing 101 people, according to news reports.

Regional security minister Igor Orlov said the club had a suspended plastic ceiling that caught fire quickly when ignited by so-called “cold fireworks”, which generally are fountain-type displays with lower temperatures than conventional fireworks, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.