Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
A gas canister used by a street vendor exploded during Oruro's famous carnival celebrations in Bolivia, killing at least eight people and wounding more than 40 others, authorities said.
Several victims had to be airlifted to Bolivia's main city, La Paz, as local hospitals struggled to cope, says a BBC report.
Hundreds of thousands of people take part every year in Oruro's carnival celebrations.
The blast happened on Saturday evening on a crowded side street close to the main parade route.
President Evo Morales wrote on Twitter that he was "dismayed at the news of the deaths caused by the explosion".
Local media reported that the explosion was accidental.
The Oruro carnival dates back more than two centuries and has been classified as a cultural heritage event by the United Nations.
Some 6,000 dancers - among an estimated crowd of some 450,000 - take part in the festivities every year.