we begin with heart-wrenching images out
of Paris the historic nortre dom
cathedral ravaged by a fierce fire crews
spending hours trying to put out this
blaze and Nicky the images could not be
more stunning people around the world
watched in shock as flames brought down
the spire of Our Lady of Paris many fear
the entire structure would be lost but
tonight new images from inside the
burned-out landmark here we want to take
you live now to some of the pictures
that we have at this hour officials say
the fire is under control
one of Paris's most iconic landmarks up
in flames this is the moment no true
Dom's spire fell crowds gasping as it
came down the cathedral has stood for
850 years withstanding two world wars
and now we're seeing for the very first
time what it looks like inside
John Dickus watching in terror from a
balcony as fire engulfed the building
there's no question that was the the
most horrifying moment my partner and i
were we're standing on the balcony
watched and that was the moment that she
started crying when we watched that
spire fall down it's just you know it's
such a night like an iconic part of the
Paris skyline for reasons gathering near
the Cathedral Monday night and moments
he'd been breaking into holy song
Ave Maria Hill Mary the fire ripped
through the Gothic church during Holy
Week seen as the most important on the
Christian calendar this is a hugely
important place for Catholics for the
history of France and it has been at the
center of the story of the Parisian
people
fire crews save the iconic towers
precious artwork is also said to be okay
but two thirds of that entire roof was
charred by them an emotional President
Emmanuel macron vowing to rebuild and
asking for international health
international health as we mentioned
here news of that Cathedral fire comes
as much of Europe is observing Holy Week
our colleague Nicole Perez traveled to
Rome to cover the events leading up to
Easter Sunday from Vatican City she
picks up our team coverage on the fire
with reaction from the Vatican in a few
hours into our trip we learn about this
horrible news about the fire burning at
the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris just
awful news you know earlier in the day
we were waiting to hear from the Vatican
from Pope Francis see if there was any
response we hadn't heard from him since
the fire but we did get a statement from
the Vatican from a Vatican spokesperson
that talks about the sadness of everyone
here the Pope and the church offer
prayers for firefighters and for all of
those who are coping with this traumatic
situation and those feelings are spread
throughout Rome throughout the world
people just walking through the streets
on their phones on social media people
going into bars and instead of watching
sports games they're watching the news
to see what's happening and to see the
smoke and the fire just burning from the
building st. Peter's Basilica is home to
Catholicism but the Cathedral in Paris
is a lot of people would agree is close
to second and now to see it in ruins
it's just really devastating we also
heard from the president of the u.s.
Bishops Conference saying a quote the
universal Catholic Church is stunned by
the destruction of the notre-dame
Cathedral in Paris Catholic Bishops from
the United States added their words to
comfort the people of Paris we are here
for Holy Week but we will be traveling
to Paris in a few hours to bring you
that terrible story that has just
happened but we will return to continue
to bring you all the events leading up
until Easter Sunday reporting at the
Vatican I'm Nicole Perez local 10 News
we will have continuing team coverage
on the Nutri dom cathedral fire as you
just heard
nicole is traveling to Paris look for
her live reports starting at 6:00 a.m.
tomorrow the Notre Dame tragedy is not
only being felt in France but all over
the world tonight and we're hearing from
South Florida Archbishop Thomas Winsky
about the destruction of what he calls a
great cultural heirloom and religious
symbol the whole world whether you have
a face for no face feel greatly for the
loss of the French people and we can
only hope that one day Notre Dame will
rise from from its ashes