The fire began in the bar’s basement where a private birthday party was being held, Paris-Normandie.fr said.
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The blaze started at around midnight local time at the Cuba Libre bar in the city centre, and the firemen were at the scene by 00:20 am (5:20am Thai time).
The paper said the ceiling quickly ignited when candles were lit.
Cazeneuve said a judicial inquiry was opened as investigators look at what caused the fire.
Most of the young people who died were killed by this gas. At least six people were rescued and receiving treatment for injuries.
According to French media the explosion that caused the fire was the result of an accident.
Fifty firefighters attended the scene after being alerted to the catastrophe at 11.50pm GMT, with bodies yet to be identified.
According to local police, fears the fire may have been an act of terrorism appear to be unfounded.
“Young people, some of them very young, had their lives cut short”, said French junior minister Clotilde Valter.
The fatal blast, supposed to have been inadvertent, transpirered at the Cuba Libre club, located in the French city of Rouen, Normandy.
Yvon Robert, the mayor of Rouen, described the fire as “the greatest catastrophe” and that the birthday party was a “moment of joy for those involved that ended tragically”.
He also extended his “compassion and support for the afflicted families”.
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France has been tense since the chilling Bastille Day attack in Nice by a twisted Islamist terrorist that killed 85 people. On July 26, knife-wielding attackers kidnapped and killed an elderly priest, Jacques Hamel and injured three others.
