One person was killed and 24 others injured in an explosion at an entertainment venue in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, the Health Ministry reported late Saturday.
The explosion and resulting fire broke out in a nightclub on Terlan Aliyarbeyov Street in central Baku at about 3 a.m. local time, said the ministry.
It noted that fire and rescue teams were dispatched and the fire was soon extinguished.
Deputy Minister Etibar Mirzeyev went to the scene and conducted investigations.
Dozens of injured people were taken to hospitals.
Internal Ministry spokesperson Ehsan Zahidov said that according to preliminary determinations, the explosion occurred due to a natural gas leak.
A statement from a gas company in the country, Azerigaz, said the incident occurred due to a gas cylinder explosion.
Apartments in the building where the venue is located and vehicles near the scene were decimated by the explosion.
