Renovation work has been ongoing on the tower for weeks.

The main tower of Rouen's Gothic cathedral in Normandy caught fire. Watchman.

Renovation work on the tower has been ongoing for weeks, but the cause of the fire remains unknown. Footage circulating on social media shows the side of the scaffolding tower facing the main facade burning with thick smoke.

Authorities said the cathedral was evacuated, a cordon was placed around the building and emergency services were at the scene. No injuries were reported.

Construction of Rouen Cathedral, one of the most beautiful cathedrals in France, began in 1030 and was completed in 1880. It was painted several times by the Impressionist painter Claude Monet in the 19th century.

As a reminder, in 2019, the roof structure of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris also caught fire under similar circumstances. At that time, it took the heroic work of more than 400 firefighters to prevent one of France's greatest landmarks from being completely destroyed.



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