A fire broke out this Thursday in the tower of the famous cathedral in Rouen, France, which is undergoing restoration work.
The fire started around noon local time and was considered under control at around 2pm (1pm in mainland Portugal), according to the newspaper Le Monde.
"The cathedral has been evacuated. Emergency services are on site and a security perimeter has been established. Please avoid the area and do not congest the emergency lines”, explains the mayor of Normandy.
The origin of the fire is still unknown. Images shared on social media show smoke coming from some scaffolding. The project to renovate the cathedral's spire - made of cast iron - began in 2018 and part of the tower was covered in March.
A total of 63 firefighters, supported by 33 vehicles, quickly moved to the scene and the square in front of the cathedral was closed to the public.
Rouen Cathedral is a Gothic building that was built in successive phases between the 13th and 15th centuries.
The spire is 151 meters long, one of the tallest in Europe and dates back to the 19th century, when it was rebuilt in cast iron after the original wooden one was destroyed in a fire caused by lightning.
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