Shock, disbelief as a colossal fire razes down the historical Notre-Dame cathedral

By Samuel Abuya

Shock grieved thousands of Paris residents and millions around the world as a fierce fire gutted down a better part of the historical Notre-Dame cathedral which has been standing for hundreds of years in the French capital causing the spire to collapse.

The colossal fire, which broke out at around early evening hours, sent huge flames and huge-dark clouds that billowed into the Paris skies as shocked tourists and the capital’s residents watched helplessly and in sheer horror.

By the time of going to press, the cause of the fire had not been identified but the cathedral was under heavy renovations and some quarters have associated the fire with the intense restoration works which was commissioned after cracks started appearing in the 850-year-old masterpiece of a cathedral which was inscribed as a World Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) way back in 1991.

Notre-Dame cathedral attracts millions of tourists every year who marvel at its artistic works.

Deputy Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire told news agencies the spire “collapsed inwards” and the fire fighters and workers at the cathedral were “fighting to save as much as they could of the artworks”.

No one seems sure yet on what will happen next to the cathedral but the French President Emmanuel Macron has insisted that it will be rebuilt.  

Various world leaders and politicians alike have since expressed solidarity with France over the shocking incident.  

Image credit: FRANCOIS GUILLOT – GETTY IMAGES

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