A huge fire has destroyed the roof of a nineteenth-century cathedral in the western French city of Nantes.
No one was injured by the blaze at the Basilique Saint-Donatien, which started at 8.30am. The fire was believed to have been started accidentally by two roofers carrying out renovation work.
Members of the public reported the fire on social media.
Terrible image que celle de la Basilique de #Nantes, ravagée par les flammes depuis 11h ce matin. pic.twitter.com/sQP7zgZbuq
— Nunès Christopher (@NunesChr) June 15, 2015
The fire began just after morning Mass and everyone inside the basilica was quickly evacuated, Fr Benoit Bertrand, vicar-general of Nantes, told BFM television.
Aircraft and 40 firemen were sent to tackle the fire but the flames quickly engulfed the roof, leaving just a shell.
The mayor of Nantes, Johanna Rolland, said in a message on Facebook that the basilica is “an extremely important symbol for Catholics in Nantes and part of the shared heritage of all local residents”.
She said an inquiry would be held to determine the cause of the fire. "The inquiry will determine with certainty, but the work on the roof seems to have been the cause," Ms Rolland said.
A fireman at the scene said the fire may have left the building's structure unstable.
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