A fire broke out at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on Monday and ravaged the UNESCO World Heritage Site for hours.
The massive fire toppled the cathedral’s iconic spire, collapsed its roof and threatened the centuries-old art and architecture inside. However, both towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral are relatively intact, Laurent Nunez, secretary to the interior minister, stated hours after the fire.
The cause of the fire is still undetermined, but officials have referred to the incident as “involuntary”.
As world leader’s show solidarity with Parisians, UNESCO’s director general Audrey Azoulay said on social media: “Deep emotion in the face of this dramatic fire at the cathedral, inscribed as a (World Heritage site) in 1991.
“UNESCO is closely monitoring the situation and is standing by France’s side to safeguard and restore this invaluable heritage.”
No deaths were reported, but at least one firefighter was injured.
