Several people were injured in addition to the fatalities from the nightclub stampede [AFP]

Nine youths and three police officers were among the dead in Friday's incident, security officials said.

Several people were also injured.

Joel Ortega, a local security official, said police entered the New Divine nightclub in northeastern Mexico City in the early evening to check reports of drugs and alcohol being sold to minors.

Selling alcohol to people under 18 is illegal in Mexico and nightclubs are allowed to operate only within certain time limits.

However, those laws are largely ignored by bar and nightclub owners.

Trampled

Around 1,000 people were inside the disco to celebrate the end of the school year.

Cases of beer were said to be blocking the emergency exit.

At a news conference later on Friday, Ortega said about 500 young people - more than the club's capacity - were there to celebrate the end of the school year and many more were waiting in line to get into the nightclub.

"Unfortunately, the person in charge of the nightclub took the microphone and announced a police operation was underway," Ortega  said.

He also said that people panicked and rushed to get out, causing a stampede.

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