At least 17 people were killed and seven others seriously injured after a fire erupted at a popular nightclub in the Cameroon capital of Yaounde on Sunday. 

Workers at the Liv’s Nightclub Yaouba initially thought the blaze was caused by a short circuit. However, a government statement suggested that fireworks had ignited the building’s roof, and then the fire spread to areas where cooking gas was stored.

“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,” government spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi said.

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He added that authorities were still trying to determine the names and nationalities of the deceased and wounded. Eight people were rushed to Yaounde hospital in serious condition, one of whom later died. The others remained in intensive care as of late Sunday. 

The incident comes as the central African country hosts thousands of soccer players, fans and officials from across the continent for African Cup of Nations soccer tournament.

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In a statement, Cameroonian President Paul Biya called for calm and assured players and fans of their safety.

His government asked people to remain vigilant “in order to avoid the occurrence of this kind of disaster, especially when our country is hosting a large-scale sporting event.”

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The African Cup, featuring teams from 24 countries, began on January 9. It is the continent’s biggest soccer tournament and Cameroon is hosting for the first time in 50 years. It was originally scheduled for 2021 but then was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

With inputs from the Associated Press