The fire that destroyed a 17th century organ and shattered a stained glass window at Nantes Cathedral started in three different places, the French authorities have said, reports The Guardian.
A 39-year-old man tasked with locking up the cathedral on Friday night hours before the fire was cleared of all suspicion on Sunday after being questioned by police.
“Any interpretation implicating this person with what occurred is premature and hasty,” the Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennès said earlier in the day. “It is normal procedure for him to be questioned.”
About 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at the St Peter and St Paul Cathedral reported early on Saturday morning. Initial reports suggest it started in three separate areas of the Gothic structure, one near the “grand” organ, which was destroyed, a second near a smaller organ left of the altar and a third to the right of the altar. At least one of the fires appears to have originated near an electrical fuse board.
There was no evidence of a break-in at any of the cathedral’s six doors and detectives are trying to establish if the fire was accidental or arson. Most of the cathedral structure, built between the 15th and 19th centuries was saved.