Devastating Notre-Dame cathedral fire could have been started by dropped cigarette or electric fault, prosecutors say
- Criminal intent ruled out in April blaze, with officials saying there was no evidence to support such claims
- Actual cause of fire still not known
A badly stubbed-out cigarette or an electrical fault could have started the devastating fire that ripped through Notre-Dame cathedral in April, Paris prosecutors said Wednesday, ruling out any criminal intent.
French investigators were examining many hypotheses “including a malfunctioning of the electrical system or a fire which started with a badly stubbed-out cigarette”, said a statement, indicating there was no evidence to back up any theory of “a criminal origin” to the fire.
The statement, signed by chief Paris prosector Remy Heitz, said the preliminary conclusions had been based on interviews with some 100 witnesses.
But it emphasised that the investigation had still not clarified the actual cause of the fire.
It was not yet possible to conclude if either an electrical fault or stubbed-out cigarette was the most likely theory, it added.