Peruvian authorities have confirmed that 28 people had perished earlier in the weekend when a fire sparked by an out-of-control flame trick raced through an unlicensed Lima nightclub devoid of sprinklers or proper safety exits.
So far, the bodies of 14 men and 13 women have been positively identified. Among them were relatives of Peru's two vice presidents, Mr Raul Diez Canseco and Mr David Waissman, and the daughter of former congressman Mr Luis Delgado Aparicio.
Most of the victims died of smoke inhalation when the fire spread through the upscale Utopia nightclub in southern Lima around 7 am on Saturday and the crowd, estimated at 1,000, stampeded toward the exits.
Of the scores injured, 53 were in grave condition, according to authorities. Many of those who perished died of injuries in area hospitals throughout the day Saturday, police said in a statement earlier.
The blaze came less than a year after a December 29 fire in the Peruvian capital, in which some 280 people were killed as flames raced through a crowded downtown marketplace where fireworks and firecrackers were being sold.
AFP