Enormous damage

Fire in Paris City Hall: Tower could collapse

(Bild: APA/Associated Press)

Once again, a historic building has been ravaged by an inferno of flames: On Monday night, the tower of the city hall in Paris was ablaze - more than 150 emergency services battled for hours to get the fire under control. 

The approximately 30-metre-high bell tower of the historic city hall in the 12th arrondissement was fully engulfed in flames. 60 fire engines were sent to the scene - the firefighters only got the fire under control in the morning. Many works of art and paintings are said to have fallen victim to the flames.

(Bild: APA/Associated Press)

This article shows pictures of Paris City Hall before and after the fire:

Fortunately, no one was injured in the dicey incident - but there is great concern that the burnt-out bell tower could collapse. This could cause even worse damage to the building. The cause of the fire is still unclear, but the police prefect does not believe it was arson.

This video shows the extent of the fire: 

City Hall was built in 1876
In addition to a central town hall, each district in Paris also has a town hall, some of which are also impressive historical buildings. Built in 1876, the town hall of the 12th arrondissement is a building with styles from several successive eras, inspired by Renaissance architecture, Louis XIII and Louis XIV. The town hall of the adjoining district is the first place that the residents of the district turn to for their daily needs.

The images are reminiscent of the devastating fire in Notre-Dame in 2019, when the cathedral was severely damaged in the fire drama and a 96-metre-high tower in the middle of the roof collapsed. The Paris landmark has since been restored and reopened.