Two people have died and eight are injured following a shooting at a nightclub in the US, authorities have said.

Sheriffs say gunfire broke out inside the Lavish Lounge, in Greenville County, South Carolina, just before 2am local time (7am in the UK) on Sunday.

A large crowd of people was then seen running from the building.

No arrests have been made and the Greenville County sheriff’s office said it had received “some suspect information” following the shooting.

Speaking at a news conference, Sheriff Hobart Lewis said officers were not sure whether there had been multiple gunmen.

“We don’t really have a person of interest that we can name,” Mr Lewis said.

The names of the victims and details of injured survivors’ conditions have not been immediately released.

A post on Lavish Lounge’s Facebook page advertised a performance by trap rapper Foogiano for the night of Saturday 4 July.

Foogiano is fine and his team safe, a bookings representative said in a text message.

Lavish Lounge is located about five miles southwest of central Greenville, which has experienced some of the state’s highest coronavirus rates.

Cases of the virus have been rising across the state, and its rate of positive tests is three times the recommended level.

At the end of June, Greenville became the first city to mandate face coverings in the state, despite Governor Henry McMaster refusing to implement a state-wide mask requirement.

However, despite his stance on masks, Mr McMaster has not lifted restrictions on large crowds, and has said that those operating nightclubs illegally or holding concerts against his orders do not have to be caught in the act to face criminal charges.

Instead, if COVID-19 cases are traced back, they could be charged retrospectively.

Mr Lewis said he did not know whether the club had sought an exemption to the governor’s order or secured a permit for Saturday night’s event, but said it was clear that people inside were not two metres apart.

“It’s certainly not the best situation to stop the spread of this virus,” the sheriff said.

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