A spokesman for the Paris fire department tells Reuters that the next hour and a half
is “crucial” in order to see if the fire can be contained.
The French civil defence and crisis management agency have dismissed President Trump’s
earlier suggestion that flying water tankers could put the fire out.
“The drop of water by air on this type of building could result in the collapse of the
entire structure along with the fire fighers who are currently doing their best to save
Notre Dame,” it tweeted.
“Helicopter or airplane, the weight of the water and the intensity of the drop at low
altitude could weaken the structure of Notre-Dame and result in collateral damage to the buildings
in the vicinity.”
Notre-Dame Cathedral went up in flames on Monday in a roaring blaze that devasted the
Parisian landmark, one of France's most visited places.
Flames burst through the roof of the centuries-old cathedral and quickly engulfed the spire,
which collapsed.
A huge plume of smoke wafted across the city and ash fell over a large area.
Firefighters cleared the area around the cathedral, which marks the very centre of Paris.
President Emmanuel Macron cancelled an address to the nation that he had been due to give
later on Monday evening.
A presidential official said Macron was to go to the scene of the blaze.
"A terrible fire is under way at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris," Mayor Anne Hidalgo said
on Twitter.
France 2 television reported that police were treating the incident as an accident.
The cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century, features in Victor Hugo's classic
novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame".
It attracts millions of tourists every year.
Notre-Dame was in the midst of renovations, with some sections under scaffolding and bronze
statues were removed last week for works.
The fire broke out at around 4.50pm GMT, a spokesperson for the cathedral told Agence
France-Presse.
Fire trucks were seen speeding through Paris towards the scene on the Île de la Cité
– an island in the Seine at the heart of Paris – while the Paris police department
called on residents to avoid the area and to “make way for rescue vehicles” on Twitter
as hundreds of people have gathered on bridges and on the banks of the river to witness the
tragic scene.
A fire has broken out at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, with firefighters attempting to
contain the blaze which police said began accidentally and could be linked to renovation
work at the site.
The spire of the medieval cathedral collapsed after flames burst through the roof, and smoke
can be seen billowing from the famous monument as a huge plume of smoke rests above the 850-year
old Gothic building.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, says London stands in sorrow with Paris.
Reuters have reported that there are no known injuries yet, and the junior interior minister
Laurent Nuñez authorities said authorities were still examining the cause of the fire.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has announced it has started an inquiry, and Emmanuel Macron
is to go to the scene after he cancelled an address to the nation that he had been due
to give later tonight.
Witnesses have described the scenes of devastation.
“Basically the whole rooftop is gone.
I see no hope for the building,” said Jacek Poltorak, watching the fire from a fifth-floor
balcony two blocks from the southern facade of the cathedral.
Firefighters cleared the area around Notre-Dame, which sits on an island in the river Seine
and marks the very centre of Paris, as buildings in the vicinity were evacuated.
“Everything is collapsing,” a police officer told Reuters.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has tweeted to express his sorrow to see Notre
Dame in flames.
“Our Lady of Paris in flames.
Emotion of a whole nation.
Thought for all Catholics and for all French.
Like all our countrymen, I’m sad tonight to see this part of us burn.”
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, tweeted: A terrible fire is under way at Notre-Dame
Cathedral in Paris.
The fire brigade are trying to control the flames.
We are mobilized on the spot in close connection with the [Catholic Archdiocese of Paris] . I
invite everyone to respect the security perimeter.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, suggested using flying water tankers to douse the flames.
The deputy Labour leader, Tom Watson, tweeted that he hoped Parisians could save their beautiful
cathedral.
Angelique Chrisafis, the Guardian’s Paris correspondent, is speaking to witnesses at
the scene.
Standing at the police cordon, Camille, 20, from Normandy, a history student at the Sorbonne,
says: “There’s a feeling of total sadness and also anger.
It’s our heritage.
People in the crowd have been singing hymns.
Whether you’re Christian or not, part of our history is going up in smoke.”
A 55-year-old furniture restorer, who did not wish to give his name, says he arrived
at the start of the fire and watched the flames move from the back of the cathedral towards
the bell towers.
“This is a major moment,” he says.
“This building is a symbol of Catholicism.
It’s a symbol of Paris.”
The president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, described the fire as
a horror and a sad spectacle.
“I am following minute by minute the fire of which Notre-Dame de Paris is the prey,”
a press release read.
“Our Lady of Paris belongs to the whole of mankind.
It has inspired so many writers, so many painters, so many philosophers, so many visitors from
all over.
“What a sad spectacle.
What a horror.
I share the emotion of the French nation which is also ours.”
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said, via her spokesman’s Twitter: “It is with
profound sadness that I am witnessing the events in Paris.
I am saddened to see these terrible images of Notre Dame, symbol of France and of our
European culture, in flames.
Our thoughts go to our French friends.”
Labour MP Yvette Cooper said she was in Paris and saw the spire of Notre Dame fall.
“Have just come away from the bank of the Seine after the spire fell as I can’t bear
to watch any more,” she tweeted.
“Fearful for anyone close to the flames, and aghast that centuries of history and beauty
could disappear into smoke so fast.”
Here is a potted history from the Press Association: Work began on Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral
in 1163.
The first stone of the original structure was laid in front of Pope Alexander III after
the Bishop of Paris, Maurice de Sully, proposed the cathedral after his election in 1160.
It grew iconic in popular culture through several artistic works, including the Victor
Hugo novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was published in 1831 and adapted by Disney
in 1996.
The cathedral also houses a beehive over the sacristy, which was added in spring 2013.
The original structure was completed nearly 200 years later, in 1345, and its name literally
translates to “Our Lady of Paris”.
About 13 million people now visit the Catholic landmark every year - more than 30,000 every
day on average - according to its official website, and it is believed to be the most
visited structure in the French capital.
Angelique Chrisafis, the Guardian’s Pariscorrespondent, is speaking to witnesses at the scene.
“I can’t believe what I’m seeing,” said one elderly woman, who did not wish to
give her name.
“If this burns down, it’s a piece of history that goes.”
Alexis, 35, who works from home in finance, said he rushed to the scene after seeing the
first images on TV.
“I rushed down as soon as I saw what was happening.
I never thought it would be this depressing.”
Over the course of an hour, he had watched as the flames rise from the roof and sections
of the roof had collapsed.
“When I got here, the roof was still there.
I slowly watched it fall.”
Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told French media: “Everything is burning, nothing will
remain from the frame.”
[News source: Reuters, Paris & Twitter] Thank for watching.