Firefighters have found 12 charred bodies at the site of an explosion at a fireworks and munitions shop in eastern Venezuela.
The fire caused by Monday's explosion has been brought under control in the shop and in the busy district of Ciudad Guayana around it, but firefighters are still unable to reach some areas.
State news agency ABN quoted a firefighter as saying one of the employees had lit a sparkler in the shop, causing the explosion.
The shop did not have proper conditions for the storage of large amounts of fireworks.
Fireworks accidents in the South American country are common in the holiday season, when sales of mainly imported cheap pyrotechnics for Christmas and New Year celebrations rise sharply despite government attempts to ban them.
Initial reports has put the death toll at four.
Yesterday, local media quoted officials in Ciudad Guayana in Bolivar state as saying the death toll could be as high as 20.
Police had to intervene at one point to prevent the looting of the gun store and other shops in the area.
