PARIS IS BURNING!
A fire raged through the historic Notre-Dame in Paris yesterday. The blaze began at around 7pm local time with 400 firefighters deployed to battle the flames, with one reportedly seriously injured. A dramatic video showed the moment the landmark's iconic spire came crashing down into a heavy plume of smoke:
Gasps could be heard from the crowd as the famous feature of the Parisian skyline collapsed. There were fears that the entire structure could topple, however, we are now hearing reports that this has been 'saved and preserved'. President Emmanuel Macron took to the streets of Paris last night to send his thoughts to the Catholics of France and the world as well as the people of Paris. 'Our Notre-Dame is their cathedral and more' he said. He also praised the courage of the firefighters who had been working tirelessly throughout the night to contain the flames. 'We will rebuild this cathedral all together [...] We will rebuild Notre Dame' were his final words as the engines blared around him.
Prayers poured in from world leaders including Theresa May and Angela Merkel as well as celebrities Sean Ono Lennon and Riccardo Tisci who took to Instagram to share their sorrow at what they were witnessing. Significant pledges have also been made from Kering's François-Henri Pinault and France's richest man and LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault:
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The cause of the fire is unknown but there have been reports that recent restorations to the cathedral may be to blame. A preliminary investigation by French police has begun. Built in 1160, the Notre-Dame is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and a top tourist attraction, bringing in 30000 visitors per day. Declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1991, the building has survived a war, a previous fire and a bomb. Today it looks like this...