OAN Staff James Meyers
3:17 PM – Monday, September 2, 2024
A massive fire erupted at a historic church in northern France early on Monday, with its bell tower collapsing as a result of the inferno, officials in the area said.
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The fire broke out at around 4:30 a.m. in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the northern town of Saint-Omer.
Police are treating the fire as arson and the church leaders have called upon those behind the arson attack to come and talk to them.
The church leaders have called upon those behind the arson attack to come and talk to them.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) stated that three pumps remained at the church in the early hours of Monday.
During the worst part of the fire, there were 49 firefighters at the scene.
The church said it was “heartbroken but also so thankful – to the fire crews, to the local community, to our neighbors who sounded the alarm, and so thankful that no-one was hurt.”
Meanwhile, nobody was injured, but around 50 residents living nearby were evacuated as a precaution, officials said.
“My thoughts are with the Catholics and the people of Saint-Omer,” Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on X. “An investigation is under way to determine the exact cause of the fire,” he added.
The historic church, which features neo-Gothic furnishings, was unveiled in 1859. It was restored and reopened in 2018.
This comes after another fire broke out in July at a medieval cathedral in the northern French city of Rouen during renovation work. No major damage was reported in the incident.
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