The historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France is engulfed in flames as firefighters try to salvage what they can of the iconic gothic structure.
Flames could be seen erupting from the roof of the Cathedral which eventually caused the famous spire to collapse. At this point its unclear if any injuries have been reported as firefighters and City officials evacuated the building.
Paris’ Mayor Anne Hidalgo called it a “terrible fire” while informing Parisians to respect the parameter of the Cathedral as firefighters continue to fight the blaze. Meanwhile French President Emmanuel Macron postponed an address he was scheduled to give tonight.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. However the spire had been undergoing a renovation project with the Paris Fire Department saying that the project and fire could be “potentially linked”.
As of now too, intentionality hasn’t been determined.
Originally commissioned in the 1100’s, the stone structure a historical marvel that contains numerous Christian artifacts. It’s rumored to contain part of the Crown of Thrones that was adorned Jesus Christ‘s head during the Crucifixion as well as part of the cross that was used to crucify him.
UPDATE: The Vatican has finally released a statement on the fire via the AP:
The Vatican has issued a statement about the “terrible fire” that has “devastated” Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
The Vatican said: “The Holy See has seen with shock and sadness the news of the terrible fire that has devastated the Cathedral of Notre Dame, symbol of Christianity in France and in the world.”
The statement says the Vatican is praying for firefighters “and those who are doing everything possible to confront this dramatic situation” on Monday.
It also expressed “our closeness to French Catholics and the population of Paris, and we assure our prayers for firefighters