A HUGE fire has been seen ripping through the historic Rouen Cathedral in France as thick plumes of black smoke billow into the sky.
Horror footage shows the 1,000-year-old gothic building ablaze with roaring flames rising up along the iconic spire.
The burning building was quickly evacuated as security set up a barrier outside until firefighters rushed to the scene.
Investigations are ongoing into what caused the mystery fire with Rouen mayor, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, announcing via X: “All public resources are being mobilised.”
Footage shows the flames coming from an area covered by scaffolding near the top of the building as people look on from below in disbelief.
Construction work was reportedly underway on the cathedral at the time of the fire this morning.
Around 33 fire engines and 63 firefighters reportedly battled the flames.
An emergency services spokesman said: “Fire engines are at the scene, and the cathedral has been evacuated.”
No injuries have been reported.
Public transport in the surrounding area has been badly disrupted by the chaos, say BFM TV.
The cathedral is a historic landmark in France and it was painted several times by famous painter Claude Monet in the 19th century.
It was in the middle of a seven-year restoration project that started back in 2017, according to France’s ministry of culture.
It is the latest fire to plague France’s iconic buildings after a suspected electrical short-circuit caused the Notre Dame cathedral to catch alight.
The horrific fire in April 2019 destroyed much of the inside of the famous landmark as renovation work was underway on the building.
Firefighters said the inferno was so severe that the whole building was within minutes of total destruction.
