A fast-moving fire that appeared to be accidental swept through a birthday party in a basement bar in the northwest French city of Rouen, killing at least 13 people and injuring six others, authorities said on Saturday.
More than 80 fire-fighters battled the early Saturday blaze at the downtown Cuba Libre bar, and it’s not yet known how many people were inside at the time, Rouen Mayor Yvon Robert said, calling the fire “very brief”. Vice prosecutor Laurent Labadie told The Associated Press that the first testimonies from survivors and the early police investigation indicated the “fire was completely accidental”. “There was no explosion,” Mr. Labadie told the AP. “Candles on a birthday cake started the fire after the person who carried it tripped on the stairs leading to the basement.”
The bar fire came as the country is on maximum terror alert after two deadly attacks last month and was also the second recent tragedy to hit Rouen, a city in Normandy. A priest was slain by two Islamic State extremists in his church outside Rouen on July 26.
Rouen’s archbishop Dominique Lebrun, who led the public service for the slain priest, celebrated a Mass on Saturday for the bar victims and their families.
