Firefighters are tackling a blaze at the famous Paris cathedral
Paris’ iconic cathedral Notre Dame is on fire. The cause is not currently known, however officials have said it could be linked to renovation works.
The fire has been raging for at least an hour and caused the cathedral’s world-famous spire to collapse.
The Gothic building, 850 years old, is in urgent need of repair and the Catholic Church launched an appeal for funds last year. A €6 million renovation on the spire was underway.
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Officials have established a cordon around the cathedral. Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said the fire was “terrible.”
Horrible #NotreDame pic.twitter.com/BndHQRO1b5
— Solveig Godeluck (@Solwii) April 15, 2019
The fire started on Monday afternoon and emergency responders have launched a major operation to combat it.
French newspaper Le Monde reports the fire started in the attic of the famous church, before spreading across its roof.
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Notre Dame is one of the most-visited buildings in the world and annually 12 million people visit it.
The fire was first reported at 5.50pm British Summer Time.
