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Firemen works at the Sagrada Familia basilica after a fire broke out inside the church in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, April 19, 2011. AP Photo/Manu Fernandez
Live BlogSuspected arsonist starts small fire at Sagrada Familia cathedral
About 1,500 tourists had to be evacuated from the famous cathedral in Barcelona after a small fire was started in the sacristy earlier today.
POLICE IN BARCELONA have confirmed that a suspected arsonist started a small fire inside the Sagrada Familia basilica and forced the evacuation of hundreds of tourists.
The blaze was extinguished and no one was hurt.
A Catalan regional police official says around 1,500 people were evacuated earlier today from architect Antoni Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece. It is one of the most popular tourist sites in Spain’s second-largest city.
AFP reports Sagrada Familia Foundation president Joan Rigol yold reporters that police suspected a “disturbed” man of starting the fire. “He appears to be a disturbed man of around 55 who was found with several lighters in his pocket,” he said.
The official said some tourists saw smoke coming from inside the sacristy and alerted authorities, and the suspected arsonist was arrested. “Some tourists saw the smoke and called the alarm. They also saw someone who emerged from the sacristy who is the person that has been detained. A lighter, cloth, elements to start a fire were found,” she said.
Additional reporting by AP
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