Fire Damages St. Petersburg Cathedral

Firefighters try to contain the damage to the cupola of the Trinity Cathedral (epa) August 25, 2006 -- A fire has caused extensive damage to St. Petersburg's 19th-century Trinity Cathedral.

The cathedral -- a noted tourist attraction -- had one of the largest wooden domes in Europe. The main dome was destroyed in the blaze. No one was injured.

Reports say passers-by helped to rescue priceless artifacts from the church.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The cathedral had been covered by wooden scaffolding for reconstruction work when the fire started.

(Reuters, Interfax, ITAR-TASS)