A fire has caused great damage in Mainz's event and congress center Rheingoldhalle. The fire was created after first findings of the fire department in the morning in the roof structure of the building in the middle of the city center.

The police assume damage of at least several hundred thousand euros. Nobody got hurt. About a hundred firefighters from Mainz and Wiesbaden were in action.

Parts of the roof structure of the hall, which is currently being renovated, had collapsed in the fire, said a police spokesman. The fire department tries to open the roof with a special saw to get to the source of the fire, said a city spokesman. The fire was not extinguished even several hours after the outbreak.

According to initial investigations, a smoldering fire had arisen - possibly during the construction work on the Rheingoldhalle, said the police spokesman. The hall has been renovated since the end of 2018. The exact cause is not fixed yet. The fire in the roof had been noticed around 6.20 clock, previously smoke was already perceived. This then spread over a large area.

"This is a piece of Mainz that burns"

An adjacent hotel was partially evacuated, said the fire department. Hotel guests and residents were asked to keep doors and windows closed as a precaution. There was no danger, said the police spokesman.

Lord Mayor Michael Ebling (SPD) was affected at the accident site. "This is a piece of Mainz that's on fire," he said. It hurts to see the hall on fire. She is closely connected to the city with her "beautiful and rich history". In the Rheingoldhalle many traditional carnival sessions take place.

The large congress hall of the hall was last closed because of conversion. Construction work should last until November. The country had granted a grant of more than 4.68 million euros. Due to stricter fire protection requirements, the large congress hall, which initially accommodated up to 3000 visitors, was recently approved for only 2,400 people.