France: 15th-century Nantes cathedral ravaged in fire, authorities suspect foul play

In a disastrous fire, a 15th-century cathedral in the Fresch town of Nantes burned on for hours on Saturday, July 18. According to reports, before the fire could be brought under control, it managed to blow out the stained-glass window and destroy the grand organ located inside the historical building.

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Authorities suspect foul play

According to reports, teams of firefighters were able to bring the fire under control after several hours but smoke could still be seen coming out of the cathedral on the morning of July 18. The authorities have begun an investigation and are treating this not as an accident but as a criminal act.

The sudden blaze in Nantes Cathedrals comes just over a year after a massive fire destroyed the roof and spire of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron who was at an EU summit in Brussels at the time tweeted about the incident and extended support to the brave firefighters who were risking their lives to save the historical monument.

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According to reports, no injuries were reported and local fire chief, Laurent Ferlay in a statement said that 104 firemen were at the scene of the fire to bring the blaze under control. He added that the blaze was not nearly as bad as the one that ravaged Notre Dame last year and the fire that is believed to have started behind the grand organ did not seem to touch the roof of the cathedral.

The Nantes cathedral was built over a period of five centuries and was completed in 1891. The cathedral's main organ, which had survived previous fires, was unfortunately completely destroyed by this one. Even the platform on which the organ is located has become unstable and risks collapse.

(With AP Inputs)

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