A cloud of smoke over a historically significant structure embedded the world with fear. A fear that it’d lose one of its favourite buildings – Notre-Dame de Paris – to a ferocious fire.
But as the smoke cleared, so too did people’s concerns. Notre-Dame survived the unexpected blaze, and although it emerged with a slightly charred interior and undeniable damage, the gothic cathedral is still standing tall.
For those who spent most of yesterday in a mobile-free zone, firefighters were called to extinguish a fire at the 800-year-old Notre-Dame de Paris, which caused severe damage to two-thirds of the roof and the spire. Click here for more information.
Once the flames were out and the vicinity deemed safe, a few photographers were given exclusive access to the historic site where they were able to capture the damage.
Despite the severity of the situation, firefighters were able to contain the fire quickly enough to avoid the destruction of the cathedral’s aisle and altar.
We stand.#NotreDame
Foto: Ludovic Marin / AFP pic.twitter.com/y6asq1fSB1
— Ana Paula Henkel (@AnaPaulaVolei) April 16, 2019
The same can’t be said for the roof, which now sits as a pile of burnt wood on the cathedral floor.
The latest images from inside #NotreDame are remarkable. Obviously enormous damage. But given the fire burned so long, the altar and cross seem largely intact, and even rows of pews untouched by flames pic.twitter.com/pa8uZhrUcI
— Patrick Galey 🤷🏻♂️ (@patrickgaley) April 16, 2019
Firefighters were able to recover much of the site’s ancient relics, including Jesus’ Crown of Thorns, by forming a ‘human chain’ during the blaze.
#NotreDame hero priest Jean-Marc Fournier, who rescued Christ’s Crown of Thorns, is Afghanistan vet https://t.co/V62wpqiNl5 pic.twitter.com/3WCn1t1fP3
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 16, 2019
Several other historically important items such as sculptures of the 12 Apostles and four New Testament evangelists, had been removed days prior to make way for reconstruction work.
Image: Daniele D’Andreti/Unsplash