At least 256 confirmed dead in Paraguayan supermarket fire

At least 256 people were killed and hundreds of others injured Sunday in a fire that swept through a supermarket on the outskirts of Paraguay's capital Asuncion, the Paraguayan government confirmed Monday.

The government said the death toll was expected to rise, according to reports reaching here from Asuncion, capital of Paraguay.

The fire broke out at a time when the supermarket was crowded with Sunday midday shoppers. The reports said nearly 1,000 people had been inside the shopping center, which is part of the complex that also houses offices and an underground parking lot.

Police said firefighters and police are recovering bodies and rescuing the injured from the complex.

Police said two explosions were heard moments before the fire broke out. The blasts were likely to be caused by gas leak of the gas canisters in the supermarket and subsequently ignited the devastating blaze that consumed a significant part of the supermarket within the shopping complex.

Officials said there are concerns that the 30-meter-high complex might collapse.

The shopping center belongs to the Ycua Bolanos chain and includes several fast-food outlets in addition to the store.

Witnesses said that doors within the complex had been deliberately closed so that people could not leave without paying,and that this had hampered people seeking to escape.

The owner of the complex has surrendered himself to the police in the wake of the blaze, but denied categorically that there had been an order to close the complex's doors.

Hundreds of fire fighters, emergency workers, doctors, militaryservicemen and volunteers rushed to the site and fought the fire. The blame was controlled three hours later and was extinguished atabout 6:00 p.m. local time.

The rescuers were still recovering bodies from the debris, and nearly 130 bodies have been identified but many others cannot be identified because of being badly burned. Local media said the deaths would reach 300 as more corpses were being retrieved.

Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte has visited the scene and vowed to minimize the impact of the disaster.

Argentina and Spain have offered Paraguay emergent medical aid.

Source: Xinhua