Nantes school fire repair cost estimate rises to nearly 4 million euros
French regional officials now estimate repairs to the fire-damaged Nelson Mandela school in Nantes at nearly 4 million euros, up from an earlier 2 million estimate, as three students face questioning.
Update ·
Repair cost estimate rises to nearly 4 million euros, up from an earlier 2 million euro estimate, regional officials say.
The estimated cost of repairing the Nelson Mandela high school in Nantes, France, after a fire destroyed its entrance hall on 1 October, has risen to nearly 4 million euros, regional services said on Tuesday, up from an earlier estimate of at least 2 million euros.
French police arrested three people on Tuesday in connection with the fire, a source close to the investigation told Franceinfo, confirming a report by Ouest-France. Two of the three are minors aged 16 and the third is a 23-year-old man, according to Presse Ocean; at least the two minors are pupils at the school, French media reported.
The fire broke out during a blockade of the school organised as part of a wider movement of high-school protests, at a time when 165 boarding students were inside the building, French regional daily La Depeche du Midi reported. No injuries were reported, though images of the burning building caused considerable alarm among parents and residents of the island district at the time, the paper said.
Investigators found that the school's facade had been targeted by mortar-style fireworks shortly before the fire broke out, and forensic fire experts discovered an accelerant at the point where the blaze started, La Depeche du Midi reported. The Nantes prosecutor's office assigned the case to the division for organised and specialist crime, which spent weeks reviewing footage filmed during the blockade in an effort to identify suspects.
The three people arrested on Tuesday morning remain in police custody for questioning; their exact degree of involvement in starting the fire remains to be determined by investigators, according to La Depeche du Midi.
The Nelson Mandela school, on Nantes' Ile de Nantes, has more than 1,700 pupils and students. The regional authority for Pays de la Loire said it expects the school to reopen on 16 November, more than six weeks after the fire closed it.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Franceinfo, BFMTV +1 Three people were arrested on Tuesday, a month after a fire destroyed the entrance hall of the Nelson Mandela school in Nantes on 1 October.
- 1 outlet · Presse Ocean Two of those arrested are 16-year-old minors and the third is a 23-year-old man, according to Presse Ocean; at least the minors are pupils at the school.
- 1 outlet · La Dépêche du Midi 165 boarding pupils were inside the building when the fire broke out; no injuries were reported.
- Official · police investigators Investigators found an accelerant at the point the fire started, after the facade had been hit by mortar fireworks.
- Official · regional authority The regional authority's repair estimate has risen to nearly 4 million euros, up from an earlier estimate of at least 2 million euros; the school is expected to reopen on 16 November.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The fire became one of the most visible incidents of disruption in the early days of this year's high-school protest movement in France, and Tuesday's arrests mark the first identified suspects a month after an incident that forced the evacuation of a school housing more than 1,700 pupils and students.
Updates
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Repair cost estimate rises to nearly 4 million euros, up from an earlier 2 million euro estimate, regional officials say.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 8 reports from 8 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Correio da Manhã: Estudantes convocam duas novas jornadas de protesto em Frana para tera e quinta-feira
- Franceinfo: Incendie au lycée Mandela à Nantes : trois personnes ont été interpellées mardi matin
- BFMTV: Colère lycéenne: trois lycéens placés en garde à vue pour l'incendie du lycée Nelson-Mandela à Nantes
- Franceinfo: Incendie au lycée Mandela à Nantes : trois personnes ont été interpellées mardi matin
- La Dépêche du Midi: Blocage des lycées : un établissement incendié à Nantes alors que 165 élèves dormaient à l'intérieur... trois lycéens interpellés un mois après les faits
Source balance
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Confidence and impact scores, 4 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Questions and answers
- When did the fire happen?
- On 1 October, during a blockade organised as part of a wider high-school protest movement.
- Was anyone hurt?
- No injuries were reported, even though 165 boarding pupils were inside at the time.
- How much will repairs cost and when will the school reopen?
- Regional officials now estimate repairs at nearly 4 million euros, up from an earlier 2 million estimate; the Pays de la Loire region expects the school to reopen on 16 November.
This article was written with AI assistance from 9 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.