The spire of a gothic cathedral in Rouen, France, has caught fire.
The cathedral in Normandy, one of France’s finest, was painted several times by impressionist artist Claude Monet in the 19th century.
Television images on BFM channel showed a dark plume of smoke rising from the spire and people in the streets below looking up in horror.
The scene was reminiscent of the devastating fire at Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris in 2019, which also started during renovation works.