Millions pledged to reconstruct Notre-Dame the French cathedral

April 16, 2019
| Report Focus News

Millions of Euros had already been pledged to help reconstruct the iconic Notre-Dame, before the smoke from the blaze had even cleared.

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to reconstruct the historic building even as the fire still burned, while two French business magnates had pledged about €300m ($339m; £259m) between them by early Tuesday.

Offers of help with the reconstruction have also poured in from around the globe, with European Council President Donald Tusk calling on EU member states to rally round.

The fire was declared fully extinguished some 15 hours after it began, but it had ravaged the 850-year-old building’s roof and caused its spire to collapse.

The fire is said to have started at around 18:30 (16:30 GMT) and quickly reached the roof of the cathedral, destroying the wooden interior before toppling the spire.

Fears grew that the cathedral’s famous towers would also be destroyed.
But while a number of fires did begin in the towers, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said they were successfully stopped before they could spread.

By the early hours of Tuesday, the fire was declared under control, with the Paris fire service saying it was fully extinguished by 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT).

Commander Jean-Claude Gallet of the Paris Fire Service said that one firefighter was slightly injured while tackling the blaze.