The headquarters of the City Hall of the French city of Limoges has been completely devastated by a fire, in which the bell tower of the building, a construction from the 17th century, has collapsed. The incident takes place amid the widespread wave of social mobilizations that runs throughout the country.
"A few minutes ago, the bell tower of the town hall collapsed," explained a journalist from the French television BFMTV. "The fire continues to spread rapidly. Unfortunately, there will not be much left of the town hall of Limoges tonight."
According to initial reports, the fire was allegedly started by a group of people during the disturbances recorded at the end of the demonstration called to denounce the poor situation of public education, the high cost of living, and the police violence of recent weeks.
The flames have spread through one of the two wings of the building until reaching the roof, where the beams have finally given way to the fire. Firefighters continue to work to prevent the fire from completely consuming the building, inaugurated in 1883 and whose architectural design was inspired by the City Hall of Paris.
The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Núñez, has confirmed that the fire was intentional and originated in the context of the disturbances linked to the protests.