One person died and 21 people were severely injured when fire broke out at a bar in the southeastern Austrian city of Graz in the early hours of the New Year.

Austrian police said that the fire broke out around 4 a.m. at a bar in the city center where people were attending a New Year's party.

One person, who has not yet been identified, suffered fatal injuries, Styrian state police said in a statement. At least a further three people are still in critical condition at a hospital's intensive care unit.

The cause of the fire, which broke out at the entrance of the bar, was not immediately known but investigators were looking into a technical defect.

Graz is located in southeastern Austria, and is the country's second-largest city. 

In:
• Austria
• Fire