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Paris mansion Hotel Lambert seriously damaged by fire | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A fire has damaged the landmark 17th-Century Hotel Lambert in Paris. | A fire has damaged the landmark 17th-Century Hotel Lambert in Paris. |
Dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze, which broke out overnight on the roof of the riverside mansion in the centre of the French capital. | Dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze, which broke out overnight on the roof of the riverside mansion in the centre of the French capital. |
The building was being renovated after its purchase by a Qatari prince in 2007. | |
Located on the World Heritage-listed Seine embankment, the mansion was once home to the 18th Century philosopher Voltaire. | |
It took six hours for the fire brigade to put out the blaze, which started in an area below the rooftop which emergency services found difficult to access. | |
A large portion of the roof has been destroyed. A spokesman for the fire service, Pascal Le Testu, said 650 square metres (7,000 sq ft) of the roof had gone, along with a section of a central staircase. Some of the brickwork on the front of the building has collapsed. | |
Rooms and artworks have suffered damage from flames, smoke and water. It is not yet known whether the fresco ceiling paintings by Charles Le Brun were damaged. | |
About a dozen neighbours were evacuated, and one firefighter was slightly injured. | About a dozen neighbours were evacuated, and one firefighter was slightly injured. |
The mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, said the fire was a "setback" for France's national heritage. | |
Renovation plans by the owner, Prince Abdullah Bin Abdullah al-Thani, brother of the Emir of Qatar, sparked concern from conservationists keen to preserve the historical architecture. | |
Organisations campaigning for the protection of Paris monuments had objected to redesign plans. | |
The building was acquired in a state of disrepair. |