French Police Detain Migrant Volunteer Over Nantes Cathedral Fire, Reports Suggest

The authorities launched an investigation on Saturday after a major fire devastated Nantes’ Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, destroying a centuries-old organ inside the church.

A man has been taken into custody over the blaze in the Nantes Cathedral, AFP reported on Sunday, citing a prosecutor. According to preliminary reports, the detained individual is a 39-year-old refugee from Rwanda, working for the diocese, who was responsible for locking the church prior to the incident.

The man "was responsible for closing the cathedral on Friday evening and investigators wanted to clarify certain elements of this person's schedule", prosecutor Pierre Sennès told AFP.

French firefighters battle a blaze at the Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul in Nantes

© REUTERS / Stephane Mahe

The official noted, however, that "any interpretation that could implicate this person in what occurred is premature".

More than 100 firefighters were deployed to the cathedral on Saturday morning, after a fire erupted inside.

Prime Minister Jean Castex, as well as Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot, visited the site of the incident, while President Emmanuel Macron expressed his support for Nantes firefighters.