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Notre-Dame cathedral: Firefighters tackle blaze in Paris | Notre-Dame cathedral: Firefighters tackle blaze in Paris |
(32 minutes later) | |
A fire has broken out at the famous Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris and has spread rapidly across the building. | A fire has broken out at the famous Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris and has spread rapidly across the building. |
The cause is not yet clear, but officials say that it could be linked to renovation work. | The cause is not yet clear, but officials say that it could be linked to renovation work. |
A major operation to tackle the blaze is under way at the 850-year-old Gothic building, but the cathedral's spire and roof have collapsed. | A major operation to tackle the blaze is under way at the 850-year-old Gothic building, but the cathedral's spire and roof have collapsed. |
Last year, the Catholic Church in France appealed for funds to save the building, which was crumbling. | Last year, the Catholic Church in France appealed for funds to save the building, which was crumbling. |
Hundreds of people have gathered in the streets around the cathedral, observing the flames in silence. | |
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has arrived at the scene, said his thoughts were with "all Catholics and all French people." | |
"Like all of my countrymen, I am sad tonight to see this part of us burn." | "Like all of my countrymen, I am sad tonight to see this part of us burn." |
Mr Macron has cancelled his planned speech to the nation following the fire, an Élysée Palace official said. | Mr Macron has cancelled his planned speech to the nation following the fire, an Élysée Palace official said. |
A spokesman for the cathedral said the whole structure was "burning". | A spokesman for the cathedral said the whole structure was "burning". |
"There will be nothing left," he said. "It remains to be seen whether the vault, which protects the cathedral, will be affected or not." | "There will be nothing left," he said. "It remains to be seen whether the vault, which protects the cathedral, will be affected or not." |
The blaze broke out on Monday afternoon and an area surrounding the building has been cleared. | The blaze broke out on Monday afternoon and an area surrounding the building has been cleared. |
A symbol of a country | |
Analysis by Henri Astier, BBC World Online | |
No other site represents France quite like Notre-Dame. Its main rival as a national symbol, the Eiffel Tower, is little more than a century old. Notre-Dame has stood tall above Paris since the 1200s. | |
It has given its name to one of the country's literary masterpieces. Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is known to the French simply as Notre Dame de Paris. | |
The last time the cathedral suffered major damage was during the French Revolution. It survived two world wars largely unscathed. | |
Watching such an embodiment of the permanence of a nation burn and its spire collapse is profoundly shocking to any French person. | |
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who is already at the scene described it as a "terrible fire" and urged people to respect the boundaries set up by fire crews in order to ensure that they remain safe. | The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who is already at the scene described it as a "terrible fire" and urged people to respect the boundaries set up by fire crews in order to ensure that they remain safe. |
US President Donald Trump suggested "perhaps flying water tankers" could be used to extinguish the fire. | US President Donald Trump suggested "perhaps flying water tankers" could be used to extinguish the fire. |
The Notre-Dame cathedral, which is visited by millions of people every year, is undergoing renovations after cracks began to appear in the stone, sparking fears the structure could become unstable. | The Notre-Dame cathedral, which is visited by millions of people every year, is undergoing renovations after cracks began to appear in the stone, sparking fears the structure could become unstable. |
The Paris prosecutor's office said it has opened an inquiry into the incident. | The Paris prosecutor's office said it has opened an inquiry into the incident. |
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