The devastating 2019 fire at the medieval Notre Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris was not of criminal origin, an inquiry has established, almost three years after the fire ravaged the structure.
According to a Le Parisien report on Tuesday, experts managed to reconstruct the unfolding of the disaster and concluded that the fire was not caused by a voluntary act. The results confirm preliminary findings in June 2019, which suggested there was no criminality involved.
At the moment, per the outlet’s information, the investigators consider two main options as the most likely causes of the fire: a cigarette butt or a short circuit.
There had been speculation about arson as the possible cause of the blaze, and discussions apparently intensified following a 2020 fire that destroyed the Nantes cathedral and was later confirmed to be an arson crime.
The reconstruction of the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral is ongoing and has led to some important discoveries. The French Ministry of Culture announced on Monday that the archeologists found several tombs and a 14th-century sarcophagus – both “of remarkable scientific quality,” as well as pieces of painted sculptures which are thought to be a part of the original decorations.
The fire on April 15, 2019 came as a massive shock not only for Parisians but for many people around the world, as the medieval Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most iconic buildings in the world. By April 22, donations of over €1 billion had been pledged for the cathedral’s reconstruction following an appeal by French President Emmanuel Macron.
It was feared amid the blaze that the cathedral would be destroyed completely, but it survived though it was severely damaged. A complete restoration is expected to take around twenty years and to involve colossal costs.
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