An arson investigation has been launched into a fire that broke out in a cathedral in the western French city of Nantes on Saturday.
“What is certain is that there were three different fire outbreaks, I saw them myself,” Rolland said about the blaze at Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, which has been contained.
Fire Chief Laurent Ferlay told a press briefing in front of the cathedral that the blaze was not as big as the one that engulfed Notre Dame Cathedral in April 2019, and the damage is not as bad.
Fire erupted Saturday inside a gothic cathedral in the western French city of Nantes, but firefighters brought the blaze under control within hours, emergency services said.
Officials said the cathedral’s organ was destroyed and its platform could collapse, but added that the damage was not comparable to last year’s fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Fire crews were alerted just before 08:00 am (0600 GMT) to the blaze at the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul and around 100 personnel rushed to the scene.
After two hours, emergency teams managed to contain the fire at the gothic structure, built between 15th and 19th centuries, said regional fire chief General Laurent Ferlay.
Prime Minister Jean Castex said he would visit the scene later on Saturday.
“I want to know what happened but first I’m going to show my solidarity with the people of Nantes,” Castex told reporters.
President Emmanuel Macron tweeted his “support for our firefighters who are taking all the risks to save this gothic jewel”.
The building was last hit by fire in 1972. Its roof took more than 13 years to repair.
CNN/AFP
