The Gothic-inspired medieval cathedral in Rouen, a city in French Normandy, has been engulfed in flames during ongoing refurbishments; a scenario that echoes the catastrophic fire which struck Notre Dame cathedral in Paris back in 2019. The alarming scenes of the spire in flames led to shock and awe among the onlooking public.
Early footage depicted distraught city inhabitants, speckled along the streets, straining their necks to survey the ominous clouds of dark smoke spiralling out from the construction scaffolding and permeating the sky above. In subsequent imagery, traces of smoke could yet be spotted, seeping through gaps in the white protective surrounding encapsulating the scaffold structure; though the smoke now appeared contained, no longer forming a menacing towering pillar.
The regional governing body, maintaining state power, promptly ensured the complete evacuation of the cathedral and oversaw the arrival of emergency response teams on the scene. A safety boundary was promptly erected around the cathedral’s periphery.
As per the authorities, there have been no injuries reported so far, while the extent of harm inflicted on the structure remains undetermined at the moment.
This arduous structure, hailed as the epitome of French Gothic architecture since its inception in the 12th century, rose to credit globally, courtesy of the spectacular renditions made by impressionist artist Claude Monet in the 19th century. Notably, this fire incident parallels the fearful scenes from the devastating fire at the Notre-Dame cathedral two years ago, also victim to the hazards of refurbishment work.
The cathedral’s spire in Rouen had been shrouded with scaffolding and covered with white sheeting for several weeks now. Earlier in the year, a similarly disastrous fire had ravaged Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange, – an iconic landmark – resulting in the collapse of its spire and significant portions of its external walls.
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