Strong thunderstorms struck parts of France on Wednesday, August 20, causing damage to the Château de la Cosse, a listed castle in Veyrac, in theHaute Vienne department.
The building was struck by lightning, which generated a fire on the roof shortly before 7 p.m. and its subsequent collapse on the second floor. Fortunately, there were no injuries. The owners of the castle were relocated by family members. The owner herself raised the alarm about the incident: “There was a very strong thunderstorm and then I saw something like a ball falling on the house. I went out right away. I called my son and told him there was a fire in La Cosse. My daughter called the fire department,” she told TF1.
Fifty firefighters were mobilized, with support from eighteen vehicles from around the department. About thirty firefighters were still present this morning to extinguish the flames. The ground floor furnishings were rescued from the flames and taken out of the building.
Built in 1763 by Limousin architect Joseph Brousseau and classified as a historic monument since 1977, the chateau was intended to host receptions: from weddings to baptisms, birthdays, and New Year’s Eve parties. It could accommodate 30 to 200 people. The castle has belonged to the same family for three centuries.
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati also followed the development of the incident: “A fire is breaking out at the Château de la Cosse in Veyrac, Haute Vienne. The building is classified as a historical monument. I am closely monitoring the situation and thank the firefighters who responded to the scene,” he wrote on X.
Images from video by TF1 Info
|
|
| France, lightning strikes a castle classified as a historical monument. Roof collapses |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
