Fire in Notre Dame iconic building of Paris
devastating fire that began on Monday afternoon (15 th April) has destroyed the roof of the 850-year-old
UNESCO world heritage landmark, whose spectacular Gothic spire collapsed before the eyes of horrified
onlookers. Norte Dame was icon of Paris and attracts more visitors than the Eiffel Tower every year.
The main structure of Notre Dame, as well as its two towers, has been saved, according to the Paris fire
brigade chief. On a positive note, there were no deaths but one firefighter was injured in his efforts to
save the building.
French President Emmanuel Macron asked the country to commit to rebuilding Notre Dame together,
announcing an international fundraising campaign to raise money for the repairs. A site taking online
donations has been launched.
The people of France are shocked and hurt by the incident and so are the people all over the world.
Expressions of support are pouring in and many have pledged to donate large sums of money to rebuild
the iconic cathedral. The French billionaire Bernard Arnault announced on Tuesday that he and the
LVMH luxury conglomerate would donate 200million Euros to the reconstruction efforts.
Pope Francis has been offering his prayers that Notre Dame, the “architectural gem of a collective
memory”, will once again be a shrine to the Catholic faith, a symbol of the French nation and a spiritual
and architectural gift to humanity.
