Some 41 women and children have been killed and dozens more injured by a fire that broke out in a tent at a wedding in Kuwait, officials have said.
The fire began late on Saturday evening while the women and children were celebrating the marriage at a party in the al-Jahra area, west of Kuwait City.
A number of the injuries were caused by a stampede that followed the blaze, officials say, and the deaths may rise.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. An investigation has begun.
'Packed with people'
Four teams of fire-fighters were dispatched to the scene, as well as a large number of ambulances needed to take the injured to hospital.
Kuwait's state news agency Kuna quoted a security official as saying that 41 bodies were recovered from the tent.
The director-general of Kuwait's Fire General Directorate, Maj-Gen Jassem al-Mansouri, said rescuers were still sifting through the debris and charred items, searching for more casualties, Kuna reports.
Gen Mansouri said "the number of fatalities might increase due to the large number of injuries as result of a stampede that followed the outbreak of the fire at the tent that was packed with people".
Wedding celebrations in the conservative Gulf state are held separately for men and women. Children attend the women's party.
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