Story highlights
- The bar was hosting a birthday event
- Victims were between ages 18 and 25, report says
Initial reports indicate the explosion in Rouen, Normandy, was accidental, according to the Rouen Police Department.
Following the incident, a major street was blocked and a security perimeter set up around Le Cuba Libre Bar, a witness said. Firetrucks and several police vehicles swarmed around the bar on Avenue Jacques Cartier.
Local media reported the bar was hosting a birthday party at the time, and the victims were between ages 18 and 25.
France has been on high alert following a spate of fatal terror attacks. About two weeks ago, two jihadist attackers killed a priest in Rouen.
During Bastille Day celebrations on July 14, a man who pledged allegiance to ISIS plowed through crowds gathered to watch fireworks in Nice, killing at least 85.