At least 17 people have suffocated to death at a party at a Caracas club when a person activated a tear gas device inside, Venezuela's interior minister Nestor Reverol has confirmed.
More than 500 people were at the party early on Saturday morning (local time) at the Los Cotorros club in the middle-class Caracas neighbourhood of El Paraiso when the device went off during a brawl between several young people, reports news.com.au.
Eight of those who died from suffocation were younger than 18, Mr Reverol said, and five people were injured.
Authorities have arrested seven people and the investigation is ongoing.
