Volunteer Detained As Part Of Investigation Into Nantes Cathedral Fire Released - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th July, 2020) Police have released the volunteer who was detained as part of an investigation into the fire at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul of Nantes, BFMTV reports.

According to BFMTV, a 39-year-old migrant who worked as a volunteer at the cathedral and was in charge of locking the building was detained on Saturday afternoon.

The volunteer of the diocese was released on Sunday shortly after 10 p. m. (20:00 GMT), according to BFMTV.

His lawyer Quentin Chabert said as quoted by BFMTV on Sunday that "there is no element that directly ties my client to the fire in the cathedral."

The prosecutor said on Sunday morning, as quoted by BFMTV, that it was "premature and hasty" to make any connections between the fire and the detained individual.

Over 100 firefighters were deployed at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Nantes on Saturday morning. According to Nantes Prosecutor Pierre Sennes, an arson inquiry has been launched.

The Saturday fire completely destroyed a 400-year-old organ at the cathedral, but the building itself remains intact and is not at risk of collapsing.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his support to Nantes firefighters in a Twitter post on Saturday, recalling the 2019 fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The Heritage Foundation is now collecting donations for rebuilding the 400-year-old organ in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul.