A birthday cake with candles and sparklers turned deadly early Saturday morning when it fell to the floor at a bar in the northern French city of Rouen and sparked a fire that killed 13 people while injuring six others. Around 20 people were celebrating in the basement of the popular Cuba Libre bar when it was quickly overwhelmed by fire and smoke after someone who was carrying the birthday cake fell down the stairs.
“The candles were thrown onto the walls and ceiling, where there was soundproofing material,” local deputy prosecutor Laurent Labadie told AFP. “There was an immediate conflagration and gas was released.”
There were also reports that the candles lit the basement’s carpet on fire. Rouen’s mayor described the country’s deadliest blaze in more than a decade as “totally accidental” after initial speculation that the tragedy may have been linked to terrorism. The city is on high alert after two ISIS–linked extremists killed a priest in his church outside Rouen late last month. “I was afraid that it was another attack, but right away I was told that it was an accident,” a witness said.
All of those killed in the blaze were between the ages of 16 and 25. The death toll may very well increase as one of those injured reportedly suffered burns to 90 percent of the body and was in critical condition.
