Firefighters in Paris are currently battling a fire that has broken out in the city’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral.
The incident is ongoing, but videos on social media are showing significant damage to the centuries old building, which was first constructed in 1163.
The source of the fire is currently unknown, but officials believe it could be related to renovation work being done on the cathedral, according to BBC.
While Victoria Buzz generally tends to cover hyper-local news, we have chosen to cover this story because of the historical significance.
More to come.
https://twitter.com/shreyanators/status/1117844562955898880
Horrible #NotreDame pic.twitter.com/BndHQRO1b5
— Solveig Godeluck (@Solwii) April 15, 2019
#NotreDame on fire 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2o6fdFmLbC
— Liam Taylor (@LiamMTaylor) April 15, 2019
«Incendie majeur» à #NotreDame.
(vidéo by @ecoursin) pic.twitter.com/nKI0JoyzGJ— Bob le Centriste (@BobLeCentriste) April 15, 2019
— lily crandall (@lilycrand) April 15, 2019
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, described it as a “terrible fire” and urged people at the scene to respect the boundaries set up by fire crews in order to ensure that they remain safe.
Un terrible incendie est en cours à la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Les @PompiersParis sont en train de tenter de maîtriser les flammes. Nous sommes mobilisés sur place en lien étroit avec le @dioceseParis. J'invite chacune et chacun à respecter le périmètre de sécurité. pic.twitter.com/9X0tGtlgba
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) April 15, 2019
LIVE VIDEO from the scene provided by NBC News:
