Bar fire kills 13 in France

By Fatma Esma Arslan

ROUEN (AA) – A fire which broke out during a birthday party celebration in northern France early Saturday has killed 13 people, local media report.

According to initial reports, the fire was caused by birthday candles igniting the polystyrene ceiling of the basement of the Cuba Libre Bar in Rouen, Normandy.

Most of the victims – who were between the ages 18 and 25 – died due to inhaling toxic smoke, local media said.

A judicial inquiry is underway to determine the cause of the blaze, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls also posted a tweet: "Deep sadness with regard to the tragedy which claimed 13 young lives. Compassion and support for the afflicted families."

Any terrorist involvement has been ruled out.

France has been under a state of emergency and high terror alert since a Daesh-blamed attack last November killed 130 people across Paris.

Late Friday, the iconic Eiffel Tower was also evacuated after security services spotted a suspicious package.

There have been several terrorist attacks in France over the past few months. Most recently, a truck attack in Nice in July killed 84 people, including 10 children, and wounded more than 100 others.

*Burcu Arik contributed to this story from Istanbul.