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Notre Dame cathedral engulfed in flames, with catastrophic damage

One of France's richest men has pledged $160m to rebuild Notre Dame after it suffered catastrophic damage in an all engulfing blaze.

Jacquelin Magnay
6 min read
11:29AMApril 16, 2019.
Updated 7:01AMApril 17, 2019
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Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris goes up in flames

One of France’s richest men has pledged €100m ($160m) to help rebuild Notre Dame after the cathedral suffered catastrophic damage in an inferno this morning.

Mr Pinault, president of the Artemis Group and chairman of Kering, which owns luxury brands including Gucci, Balenciaga and Yves St Laurent, announced this morning: “My father and I have decided to unblock on Artemis funds a sum of 100 million euros.”

Mr Pinault made the announcement after President Emmanuel Macron, vowing to rebuild the 855 year old church, set up an international fundraising campaign.

It came as the first pictures from inside Notre Dame emerged, showing the damage suffered by one of the world’s most iconic medieval buildings after it was engulfed in flames this morning (AEST).

The central, timber spire of the C12 church collapsed two hours after the inferno began and for hours there were fears the landmark stone towers would also be destroyed.

The cathedral roof is engulfed. Picture: AP.
The cathedral roof is engulfed. Picture: AP.

But authorities declared the main structure of the 855-year-old building had been saved after firefighters stopped the blaze from spreading to the northern belfry.

Aerial picture of the flames engulfing Notre Dame. Picture: Twitter.
Aerial picture of the flames engulfing Notre Dame. Picture: Twitter.

MORE: Why this church means so much

MORE: ‘Behind facade lay ruin’

The cathedral's roof was destroyed in the fire. Picture: Twitter.
The cathedral's roof was destroyed in the fire. Picture: Twitter.
Rubble in front of 'Pieta' by Nicolas Coustou. Picture: Twitter.
Rubble in front of 'Pieta' by Nicolas Coustou. Picture: Twitter.

But the Gothic church’s priceless art was saved; most of the C17 paintings and 16 statues had already been removed to allow renovation work while Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted her thanks to firefighters who formed a “human chain” to rescue such invaluable relics as the Crown of Thorns, and tunic of St Louis.

Father Frederick, priest at Notre Dame told Paris Match: “Good news: all the works of art were saved. The treasure of the Cathedral is intact, the Crown of Thorns, the Holy sacraments.’’

Addressing the nation, President Emmanuel Macron said the fire was a “terrible tragedy.”

“I know the sadness, the trembling inside that is felt by so many of our citizens,” he said.

But he added “the worst has been avoided’’ with the main structure of the two bell towers at the front of the church, saved from collapse.

Notre Dame fire: Watch the devastating moment the spire collapses
The spire at Notre Dameollpases.
The spire at Notre Dameollpases.

Mr Macron vowed “we will rebuild’’ although he warned the rebuild could take up to 20 years.

Mr Pinault, who is married to actress Selma Hayak, immediately kicked off the campaign with his €100m offer.

Earlier, Secretary of State for the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nunez confirmed the building’s structure had been saved, telling reporters at the scene that he was cautiously hopeful: ”The fire has decreased in intensity. We can think that the structure of the building is saved, including the north belfry,” he said.

A spokesperson for the fire services said the structure of the cathedral “is saved and preserved in its entirety” but confirmed that two thirds of the roof had been ravaged by the fire, which authorities say was caused by $9.5million renovation work.

Earlier, a spokesman had warned the entire wooden frame of the cathedral would likely come down, and that the vault of the edifice could be threatened too.

“Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame,” Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told French media.

As residents living close to the cathedral were evacuated in case of a possible collapse, authorities said a firefighter tackling the blaze had been “seriously injured”.

The 12th-century cathedral is home to incalculable works of art, most from the C17 and is one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions.

The blaze in the Gothic building started early at 7pm local time (3am AEST) at the back of the building, spreading quickly toward the front bell towers.

Hundreds of stunned Parisians, many in tears, watched in horror as, two hours after the fire began, the cathedral’s wooden spire collapsed into the inferno.

“Paris is disfigured. The city will never be like it was before,” said Philippe, a communications worker in his mid-30s, who had biked over after being alerted of the fire by a friend.

“I’m a Parisian, my father was a Parisian, my grandfather as well — this was something we brought our sons to see,” he said. “I won’t be showing this to my son.

“It’s a tragedy,” he added. “If you pray, now is the time to pray.”

French deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said Notre Dame had suffered “colossal damage” and that a special rescue attempt to save the priceless works of art at the rear of the building was continuing . More than a dozen statues that were ordinarily inside the church had only been removed during the renovation work last week.

Around 400 firefighters are battling the blaze, concentrating efforts on the north tower.

The roof and spire are engulfed in flames. Picture: Twitter.
The roof and spire are engulfed in flames. Picture: Twitter.
Hundreds of people lined the banks of the Seine to watch the inferno. Picture: Twitter.
Hundreds of people lined the banks of the Seine to watch the inferno. Picture: Twitter.

“We are not sure we can stop the spread to the northern tower,” junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned reporters earlier. “If that collapses, you can imagine the scale of the damage,” he added. “We sent significant resources.”

The French civil authority said the fire was “difficult” to manage: it was unable to use bucket drops of water from helicopters or aircraft because they feared the entire collapse of the building, endangering the firefighters.

The spire at Notre Dame collapses.
The spire at Notre Dame collapses.

“Helicopter or airplane, the weight of the water and the intensity of the drop at low altitude could weaken the structure of Notre-Dame and result in collateral damage to the buildings in the vicinity.” the civil authority tweeted.

The steeple collapses as smoke and flames engulf the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Picture: AFP.
The steeple collapses as smoke and flames engulf the Notre-Dame Cathedral. Picture: AFP.

French president Emmanuel Macron has cancelled a national address about the Gilet Jaune movement in the wake of the fire to visit the scene and Parisians are in shock that one of their most beloved monuments has been so severely damaged.

“Thoughts go out to all Catholics and all French people. Like all our compatriots, I am sad tonight to see this part of us burning,” Mr Macron wrote on Twitter.

Flames and smoke billow from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral. Picture: AFP.
Flames and smoke billow from the roof at Notre-Dame Cathedral. Picture: AFP.

Scott Morrison tweeted his support for the French people, saying he was “so sad to see this beautiful cathedral in flames.”

The Archbishop of Paris Michel Aupetit tweeted: “To all the priests of Paris. The firefighters are still fighting to save the towers of Notre-Dame de Paris. The frame, the roof and the spire are consumed. Let us pray. If you wish, you can ring the bells of your churches to invite prayer.’’

“It’s finished, we’ll never be able to see it again,” said Jerome Fautrey, a 37-year-old who had come to watch.

“Now we need to know how this happened — with everything that’s going on in the world, why Notre-Dame? Maybe it’s a message from on high,” he said.

“It’s incredible, our history is going up in smoke,” said Benoit, 42, who arrived on the scene by bike.

The Vatican expressed “shock and sadness” about the “terrible fire.”

“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 Vatican said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump called it a “terrible, terrible fire.”

“That’s beyond countries, that’s beyond anything,” he said. “It’s a part of our culture.”

British Labour politician Yvette Cooper who was holidaying in Paris said she had to turn around from watching the fire when the spire fell.

“Have just come away from the bank of the Seine after the spire fell as I can’t bear to watch any more,’’ she tweeted.

“Fearful for anyone close to the flames, and aghast that centuries of history and beauty could disappear into smoke so fast.’’

Firefighters tackle the blaze at Notre Dame. Picture: AP.
Firefighters tackle the blaze at Notre Dame. Picture: AP.

Notre Dame is situated on the Ile de la Cite in the fourth arrondissement and attracts about 12 million visitors a year, drawn to the French Gothic architecture, including a rib vault and flying buttress. Work on the Catholic church began in 1163 and it has been a much loved part of Parisian and French life for centuries.

Vincent Nichols, the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster and the most senior catholic leader in England and Wales, said:

”The shock at the outbreak of this fire is spreading round the world. It is an iconic building visited by millions but more importantly is a symbol of faith which is at the heart of Europe.’’

He added that all were praying that the fire could be extinguished quickly.

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/notre-dame-cathedral-engulfed-in-flames-spire-destroyed/news-story/c3f1df5dfd10093fc693c0ab8373a4e9