Serious damage caused by fire in the church of Geneva "Sacred Heart"

(nda) A major fire in the attic of the Sacred Heart Church in Geneva caused serious damage to property on Thursday afternoon. There are apparently no victims. The building maintenance should take months.

The fire alarm arrived at 3:44 pm and military service was quickly dispatched with 50 men and 23 vehicles. Because there was a great danger of collapse, the fire was fought with four car decks. According to firefighters, the fire was under control at 18:45

Rescue at the Sacred Heart Church in Geneva. (Image: Martial Trezzini / Keystone)

The roof of the Catholic Church in the Plainpalais district was broken in the attic and the flames spread to lower floors. The presbytery and the rooms, which were inhabited by girls, had to be cleaned up quickly. At first, there were fears that entire floors could collapse into the walls of the building. For the exterior walls, however, there was no danger.

According to firefighters, no victim was to be deplored. However, he was still in the study if in fact no one was in the rubble. The fire department also verified that the structure of the building is still safe.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. An investigation has been opened. The fire department of the fire department will be maintained until Friday morning.

The works that were in the church, especially the books and the pictures, were also touched. Some were destroyed. Specialists are investigating what can still be saved.

The fire also caused major disruptions in road traffic. The affected area is located in the middle of the city, the streets were closed for several hours. An adjacent bank has been temporarily evacuated for security reasons.