On Saturday morning (July 18), firefighters were called to battle a huge fire at a historic Gothic cathedral in France.
Per The Metro, the 15th century cathedral's beautiful stained glass windows shattered as a result of the fire, as onlookers watched black smoke billowed from the historic monument - located in the city of Nantes, in the west of the country.
Per the Evening Standard, over 100 firefighters were on-site battling the blaze.
A spokesperson from the local fire brigade told reporters:
"Seventy workers have attended the scene following an alarm call soon at around 7:40 AM (local time).
"The cathedral was immediately evacuated, and there are not thought to be any serious casualties so far."
Emergency workers have now cordoned off the area around the St Peter and St Paul Cathedral, which stands by the Loire River. Firefighters have also warned members of the public to avoid the area while they continue to attempt to fully extinguish the blaze.
The Metro also reports that an official from City Hall has stated that the cause of the fire currently unknown, but an arson inquiry has been launched.
Local fire chief Laurent Ferlay said the fire broke out behind the cathedral's grand organ - leaving it completely destroyed.
Ferlay also told reporters: "We are not in a Notre Dame de Paris scenario. The roof has not been touched."
In April of 2019, the world watched at the iconic Notre Dame in Paris was engulfed in flames.
The St Peter and St Paul Cathedral was also left significantly damaged by a fire back in 1972 - which tore through its roof.
The roof was finally rebuilt 13 years later with a concrete structure - which replaced the former wooden roof.
Per The Evening Standard, Nantes Mayor Johanna Rolland told reporters: "The fire of 1972 is in our minds, but at this stage the simulation is not comparable."
Baker Cecile Renaud, who works opposite the cathedral, was the person who first alerted the emergency services of the blaze. "It was a huge shock. It's extremely sad," she said.
