The Le Privé nightclub in Moulins-lès-Metz was completely destroyed by a series of explosions and a large fire at around 4am on Monday. According to initial reports, the venue was empty at the time.

A witness told RTL Infos that the blast had been clearly heard as far away as Metz, with a loud bang going off between 4am and 5am that produced a huge fireball rising well above the road bridge nearby. Gas cylinders exploded, which helps explain the difficulty of the firefighters' efforts. The blaze was not brought under control until around 9am.

The emergency response disrupted traffic across the surrounding area, in particular on the two A31 slip roads leading to Moulins-lès-Metz, which were closed in both directions.

The Metz public prosecutor's office, contacted by Ici Lorraine, confirmed that an investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the fire, adding that arson is currently the leading theory, although caution remains warranted at this very early stage of the inquiry.