17 killed after tear gas explosion, stampede in Venezuela club

16 Jun, 2018 15:33 / Updated 6 years ago

Seventeen people are dead, including eight minors, after a tear gas explosion sparked a stampede among hundreds of patrons at a club in Caracas, Venezuela.

More than 500 people were swept up in the stampede after a tear gas bomb was detonated. Venezuelan authorities say the gas canister was thrown after a row broke out at the ‘Los Cotorros’ venue in El Paraíso, Caracas.

Five people were also injured in the incident, and seven people have been arrested, according to Interior Minister Néstor Luis Reverol.

The club has been closed as a precaution, according to a local authorities, and its manager arrested for not fulfilling requirements relating to the control of firearms in public establishments.