ROUEN, France, Aug. 6 (UPI) — At least 13 people died in a bar fire sparked by birthday candles that also caused an explosion early Saturday morning, police said.
Le Cuba Libre bar, near Normandy, was hosting a birthday party when the explosion and subsequent fire rocked the building, killing over a dozen people and leaving six others injured – one critically.
Officials said the candles from the cake ignited the soundproofing material on the basement’s ceiling, emitting deadly fumes that, police said, are responsible for the majority of the deaths in the crowd of people aged 18 to 25.
This explosion, which is reportedly not an act of terror, is the most recent in a wave of deadly incidents across the country.
