The investigators "wanted to clarify some elements of the employment at the time of this person," explained Pierre Sennès, the chief prosecutor of the Republic of Nantes.
Incident or a deliberate act ? The fire in the cathedral of Nantes always keeps its part of mystery. A volunteer of the diocese, which was heard in police custody has finally been released Sunday evening. And this "without any proceedings", the prosecutor stated, confirming information of the daily Press Ocean.
The volunteer "was responsible for closing the cathedral on Friday night, and the investigators wanted to clarify some elements of the employment at the time of this person", explained Sunday Stone Sennès, the chief prosecutor of the Republic of Nantes. The investigators wanted to hear the man "on the" closure of the cathedral Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul.
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summer Offer : Take advantage of the special offer 2 months for 1€ I subscribe"He is not involved in the commission of the facts," said the prosecutor to the Press Ocean. In the state of the proceedings, "there is no element that directly related to my client in the fire in the cathedral", had told the press on Sunday, Me Quentin Chabert, the lawyer of the detainee.
The man "is a Rwandan who took refuge in France a few years ago. He has quite a few steps to have his papers as hundreds of others," explained Sunday, the rector of the cathedral of Nantes, father Hubert Champagne. According to the chancellor, this man of 39 years is "altar server". "I've known him for four or five years," he assured, before adding : "I have confidence in him as in all the staff".
"Three points of fire separate" marked on the inside of the cathedral
No trace of break-in at the level of the external access has not been recognized, according to the prosecutor. "I have finished playing to 21 hours on Friday," and "everything was perfectly normal, very quiet. I was far to imagine the drama that would occur the next day", testified Michel Bourcier, 56 years old, organist at the cathedral.
But questions have been raised about the origin of the fire, because "three points of fire separate" have been spotted within the cathedral. "Between the great organ, which is on the façade at the first floor and the other lights, you have almost the entire distance of the cathedral. They are still at a distance consistent to each other", a statement Saturday, the prosecutor. Experts in fire, police laboratory of science and technology, are hard at work to try to determine the origin of the loss, in the context of the investigation opened for "arson".
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Sunday afternoon, the courtyard of the cathedral has been returned to the circulation. The firefighters have left the place with the investigators in the cathedral, whose facade is slightly darkened above the porch. "We think of necessarily to Our Lady," said Vanessa, 43, a vendor who lives in the district. "It is our heritage, it is sad to see that. Even if it is restored, things will not come back".
Saturday, these are passers-by who alerted the fire department of the presence of flames coming out of the cathedral, around 7: 45. It took about two hours for firefighters to control the fire which has primarily affected the large organ. This organ was installed on a platform erected in 1620, which is accessed by a staircase of 66 steps. The great organ, which was dated 1621, had survived a fire in 1972, caused by the blowtorch of a roofer. The cathedral was reopened to the cult in 1985. The building of the cathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, in flamboyant gothic style, has lasted several centuries, from 1434 to 1891.
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Fire in the cathedral of Nantes
Nantes Cathedral : "The State will support the restoration of" Fire of the cathedral of Nantes : what we know At the heart of the intervention of firefighters to save the cathedral of Nanteson Saturday afternoon, the Prime minister, Jean Castex, accompanied on the premises of the ministers of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, and Culture, Roselyne Bachelot, paid tribute to "the dedication and great professionalism" of the hundreds of firefighters mobilized. The State "will take part in" reconstruction "I want the fastest possible", he promised.
Date Of Update: 20 July 2020, 04:58
