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Dead in Fire, Believed to Be Accidental, at Bar in France

The fire was started by an accidental explosion in a bar known as Cuba Libre in the town of Rouen in Normandy, local media reported.

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More than 80 firefighters battled to control the blaze in the downtown bar early Saturday.

A judicial inquiry is underway to establish the cause of the blaze, which happened shortly after midnight in the centre of the city in northern France.

The paper quoted the deputy prosecutor present at the site as denying initial reports of an explosion. The Normandy authorities say that six people are in hospital now, one of them got serious injuries.

A fierce fire in a bar in Rouen raise the death toll up to 13 people.

The victims, who were primarily between the ages of 18-25, were poisoned by a toxic mix of gases released by the burning plastic. Witnesses told local reporters that it took almost half an hour for the firefighters to extinguish the blaze. On July 26, knife-wielding attackers kidnapped and killed an elderly priest, Jacques Hamel and injured three others.

The neighborhood was blocked off, and Rouen Mayor Yvon Robert visited the scene.

Fifty firefighters attended the scene after being alerted to the catastrophe at 11.50pm GMT, with bodies yet to be identified.

He also extended his “compassion and support for the afflicted families”.

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French police have ruled out terrorism.

Rouen France fire