At least 27 people were killed on Friday in a major fire that broke out in a drug rehabilitation center in northern Iran, according to the judiciary.

The "Mizan Online" website, affiliated with the judiciary, quoted the head of the regional court, Ismail Sadeghi, as saying that "27 people were killed and 12 others were taken to the hospital after a fire broke out in a drug rehabilitation center in Langarud," the city located in Gilan Province north of Tehran.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, but Sadeghi said there is an "ongoing" investigation, according to the "Mizan" website, which indicated that the center accommodates up to about 40 people.

Meanwhile, the "ISNA" agency published footage of the fire that lit up the sky at night, while plumes of smoke rose into the air.

Other photos also showed the site, which suffered severe damage after the fire was contained.