A birthday party in a bar in Rouen, the capital of the French region of Normandy, ended with a large fire, Sputnik reported.
At least thirteen people between the ages of 18 and 25 died and several were injured as a result of the fire in the basement of the Le Cuba Libre bar, located at 44 Avenue Jacques Cartier, local media Paris-Normandie reporting, citing local firefighters.
The street is closed at the moment, a large number of emergency services are working at the site. Dozens of people were inside when the explosion occurred.
A number of casualties can rise further, according to the local media.
Firefighters were called at about 00:50 local time on Saturday (22:50 GMT on Friday).
One of the injured is in critical condition, according to Paris-Normandie.
The mayor visited the site. The exact reasons of the tragedy are still unknown, but it can be an accidental explosion, according to local media.