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Reuters
Image caption
Smoke could be seen coming through the windows of the cathedral
A fire has broken out at the cathedral in the French city of Nantes.
More than 60 firefighters are currently at the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral, according to local media. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Images from the scene show a substantial fire and smoke billowing from inside the gothic building.
It comes only a year after the devastating fire at the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, one of France's greatest architectural treasures.
Firefighters were called to the scene in Nantes, in north-western France, at about 07:44 (05:44 GMT), according to BFM TV.
They urged people to avoid the area.
An eyewitness told the LCI 24-hour news network that he could see the fire from his home, not far from the cathedral. He said he was woken up by "a very strange sound of bells".
"From what I can see, there is more and more smoke," he said.
It is not the first fire at the cathedral. In 1972, a fire damaged the roof of the building, which had to be closed for three years while it was restored.
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Firefighters urged people to avoid the area
