Rouen Cathedral, one of the most emblematic in France, has a fire on its spire

Rouen Cathedralone of the most prized in France, was painted several times by the Impressionist artist Claude Monet in the 19th century.

Television images from the BFM channel They showed a dark column of smoke rising from the spire, with people in the streets below already looking up in horror.

The scene was reminiscent of the devastating fire at Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in 2019.which also began during some renovation works.

The spire of Rouen Cathedral had been surrounded by scaffolding and a white roof for several weeks.

The local prefecture, which exercises state authority in the region, said that The cathedral had been evacuated and emergency services were on site.There was a security cordon around the building.

The prefecture said there were no reports of casualties and the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

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