16 killed in local karaoke bar fire in Myanmar

A fire broke out at a local karaoke bar in central Myanmar, killing 16 people, a local authority said Monday.

The incident took place late Sunday around 11 pm local time (1630GMT) after a small blast at the two-story KTV bar in the town of Magway, about 520 kilometers (322 miles) northwest of the commercial capital, Yangon, according to the local police chief, Lt. Tin Aung.

"Sixteen charred bodies were recovered from upstairs after the blaze was extinguished within two hours," he told Anadolu Agency by phone on Monday.

"The deaths include four girls working there," he said.

Several small blasts also occurred as firefighters were putting out the fire, said Aung.

Regional government officials and police arrived at the scene after the fire and started an investigation.

According to a preliminary investigation, police said the blast was caused by a gas leak.

This incident is the deadliest fire in Myanmar in recent years.

Thirteen teenage boys were killed after a fire broke out at a Muslim school in Yangon in April 2013, which authorities blamed on substandard wiring.

Fire alarms and sprinklers are usually only installed at high-end hotels and some government buildings in major cities.