‘Terrible’ fire engulfs 850-year-old Notre Dame cathedral in Paris as flames erupt from the roof and massive plume of smoke sweeps across the city
- Officials in Paris said a large operation had been launched in an attempt to bring the raging fire under control
- Pictures from around the city posted on social media showed flames licking up Notre Dame's famous spire
- The fire was first reported at 5.50pm (GMT) on Monday and the building was evacuated soon afterwards
Firefighters are battling a massive blaze which broke out at the world-famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris this evening.
Pictures
posted on social media showed enormous plumes of smoke billowing into
the city's skyline and flames engulfing large sections of the historic
building.
According to French newspaper Le Monde, the fire broke out in the attic of the monument before spreading across the roof.
A spokesperson for the cathedral said the blaze was first reported at 5.50pm (GMT) and the building was evacuated soon after.
Officials
in Paris said the fire could be linked to restoration works as the peak
of the church is currently undergoing a 6 million-euro ($6.8 million)
renovation project.
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo labelled the fire 'terrible' despite the extent of the damage being unclear at this stage.
The
cathedral is one the finest example of French Gothic architecture in
Europe, and one of the most visited buildings in the world.
Notre
Dame - which means 'Our Lady' - was build in 1160 and completed by
1260, and has been modified on a number of occasions throughout the
century.
It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, and is visited by some 12million people every year.
Officials say the blaze could be linked to renovation works as the spire has been undergoing a $6.8million renovation this year
The
blaze could be seen from across Paris on Monday night as officials in
the city said a major operation was in place to put it out
Enormous plumes of smoke were seen rising from the Cathedral as horrified onlookers gathered in a nearby squarehis article
Pictures from across Paris showed
the historic cathedral ablaze on Friday evening after the fire
reportedly broke out in the building's attic
