French police are cautioning people to avoid spreading panic as a fire broke out near the Eiffel Tower in Paris shortly after a truck plowed into a crowd of Bastille Day revelers in Nice, France on Thursday.
“Don’t spread false rumours,” the Préfecture de police tweeted. “No fire at the #TourEiffel. An accidental truck fire took place. It is put out.”
The timing of the fire is incredibly unfortunate, as dozens are feared dead in Nice. CNN reports that up to 73 people are dead and 100 injured after a large truck drove onto a sidewalk where crowds were gathered watching fireworks celebrating the French National Day, known as Bastille Day internationally.
“Dear Nice residents, the driver of a truck appears to have caused tens of deaths. Stay for the moment in your homes,” Christian Estrosi, the head of the regional council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, said Thursday, according to CNN.
The devastation in the French Riviera beachside city comes just eight months after Paris endured a terrorist attack that saw 130 people killed by coordinated attacks across several locations over the course of one night.
Ne propagez pas de fausses rumeurs. Aucun incendie à la #TourEiffel. Un incendie accidentel de camion a eu lieu pont d’Iéna. Il est éteint.
— Préfecture de police (@prefpolice) July 14, 2016