The official number of victims from a large fire in a crowded nightclub in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria has now reached 245.

Police authorities have however said that they fear that the the final tally of the victims could be even higher, writes RIA Novosti.

Some of the victims have died from suffocation, while others were crushed in the stampede that ensued in the wake of the blaze.

According to initial data, the reason for the fire in the club is an improper use of pyrotechnic devices.

At the time when the fire caught, around 2 am, there were some 2,000 people in the nightclub.