Paris [France], July 12: The spire of a medieval cathedral in the city of Rouen in northern France is mostly clear of smoke after catching ablaze and firefighters rushed in to contain it.
The fire broke out about midday on Thursday in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, which was undergoing renovation, the local prefecture and emergency fire service said.
The Gothic cathedral, one of France's finest, dates back to the 12th century and was repeatedly painted by Impressionist artist Claude Monet in the 19th century, generating worldwide fame.
Images from France's BFM television channel released shortly after the fire erupted showed a thick plume of smoke rising from the cathedral's central spire and people in the streets looking up in horror.
In later footage broadcast by the channel, smoke could still be seen through a gap in the white cover encircling the scaffolding around the spire but was no longer rising in a dark column.
Rouen Mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, writing on X, said all public resource had been mobilized to quell the blaze, whose origin remains unknown. The local prefecture, which exercises state authority in the region, said the cathedral had been evacuated. A security cordon was in place around the building. (Agencies)
Source: Qatar Tribune