At least 134 people were killed late Thursday in a nightclub fire in central Buenos Aires, local police said early Friday. 

About 260 others were injured in the fire, which devoured the club where some 1,500 people were viewing a rock concert late Thursday.

Local radio reported that the death toll may further rise.

"There are versions that flares caused the fire, but I cannot confirm this until we have more information from the fire department," Ibarra told TN television.

Local television aired pictures of the bodies of some young victims and showed footage of rescue workers evacuating people from inside the club.

According to firefighters, the fire had been extinguished, which witnesses said might have been caused by a pyrotechnical display.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2004)