A badly stubbed-out cigarette or an electrical fault could have started the devastating¹ fire that ripped through Notre-Dame cathedral in April, Paris prosecutors² said Wednesday, ruling out any criminal intent.

 

巴黎检控官周三表示，燃烧的香烟或电路故障可能引起了四月巴黎圣母院的大火，排除了人为纵火的可能。

 

French investigators³ were examining many hypotheses "including a malfunctioning⁴ 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 investigation⁵ 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.

 

"Deeper investigations⁶, using significant expertise⁷, will now be undertaken," it said.

 

The statement said a preliminary investigation had now been opened, without targeting any single individual, over involuntary damage caused by negligence⁸.

点击收听单词发音