A 39-year-old man was arrested in connection with a fire in the 15th-century cathedral in the French city of Nantes that exploded the windows and destroyed the large organ.
The man, a Rwandan refugee, was volunteering for the cathedral and had been in charge of closing the building on Friday night. The LCI television channel reported Sundayciting a fiscal.
Prosecutor Pierre Sennes said the man in custody was in custody to clear up inconsistencies in his schedule.
He said three fires were reported at the site and there were no signs of a robbery. Authorities said an investigation had been opened for the alleged arson.
The fire started on Saturday morning, engulfing the interior of the gothic structure in flames.
The fire destroyed the stained glass windows and the 17th century great organ, a star attraction of the cathedral.
Firefighters brought it under control after several hours and completely extinguished it in the afternoon.
It happened about a year after a fire in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris that destroyed the roof and main spire.
The building was last burned in 1972 and its roof took over 13 years to repair.
Regional Fire Chief Laurent Ferlay said Saturday the damage was not comparable to the 1972 fire, nor to last year’s devastating fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Much of Notre-Dame’s roof and wooden structure were destroyed, its steeple collapsed, and fumes containing toxic molten lead swelled in midair.
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