The Notre Dame Cathedral from Paris, which dates from the 12th century, burst into flame on April 15, 2019 at 19th local time in France. Immediately after the outbreak of fire, more than 800 firefighters have been mobilized, who have tried to rescue the 800-year-old historical monument.
The French president himself, Macron, was there that night, when the flames broke down the famous tower, just two hours after the outbreak of fire. Experts’ reports mention that the flame and heat were so great that they felt right on the other side of the Sena River.
Until now, fortunately, no victims are reported. The report found that both bell towers were saved by the firemen, and they are optimistic that other parts of the building will be kept even if they have fought with fire all night.
Notre Dame was first built in 1160 and restored later between 1845 and 1870. Each year, the famous cathedral attracts 12 million tourists to Paris, partly thanks to the novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” written by Victor Hugo, and also because of Disney movie.
Tourists who have already booked their flight to Paris on Easter holiday, wonder if they can still visit the cathedral. However, given the huge damage caused by the fire, which has not yet been accurately established, it is unlikely that this historical monument can still be opened to the public. From the first information, the damage is colossal, the entire wooden interior is destroyed.
The European Gothic masterpiece was under renovation and was surrounded by a scaffold when the fire started. In addition to millions of messages on all social media channels, from the world’s most popular people, who have expressed their sadness at the sight of devastating images, also the representatives of the world’s largest travel agents have responded:
“The fire at Notre Dame is absolutely devastating for Paris and the world. The Cathedral is an irreplaceable marvel of history, art, architecture, and religion”, said Susie Chau of Carpe Diem Traveler.
“I am truly saddened by this tragedy…Notre Dame is irreplaceable, one of the greatest Paris symbols, the heart of Paris, a tragic loss. My heart is aching. It hurts to watch this beautiful church and the history behind it being destroyed by fire,” said Terry Bahri of TerryB Luxury Travel.
It is also speculated that there might be an economic impact. “If Notre Dame is lost, it will have an impact on France and Paris for generations to come…It will change how and where travelers visit in Paris, and it will have a grievous economic impact on the hundreds of small, local businesses that depend on its visitors. We are all pulling for France’s courageous firefighters to save what they can” said Marceau.
Today, April 16, 2019, at 10:50 local time, french firefighters said the fire is completely off. “The crews will remain on the spot to supervise and check the stability of the building, but especially to evacuate all the works of art from the cathedral. This operation will be extended throughout the day. ” There will be a series of experises that will analyze whether the structure of this edifice has been affected.
