As the spire of the Notre Dame cathedral collapsed, there were horrified gasps from the watching crowd. Sirens blare in the background, as emergency personnel work to put out the flames.
Watch it here:
Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral
By Brian Ries, Veronica Rocha, Rob Picheta, Euan McKirdy, Jessie Yeung, Gianluca Mezzofiore and Paul P. Murphy, CNN
Updated 11:23 a.m. ET, April 17, 2019
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As the spire fell, onlookers in the crowd let out gasps and groans
Mike Pence on Notre Dame fire: "It is heartbreaking to see a house of God in flames"
US Vice President Mike Pence just tweeted about the ongoing Notre Dame fire.
"Notre Dame is an iconic symbol of faith to people all over the world – and it is heartbreaking to see a house of God in flames," he tweeted. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the firefighters on the scene and all the people of Paris."
See the tweet here:
Witness: "It’s tremendously sad to see this happening to such an iconic monument"
Bystander Cameron Mitchell just told CNN:
"My roommate told me to come see it. I’m not sure when it started. I’m really not sure what to think. It’s tremendously sad to see this happening to such an iconic monument. The fire has been slowly spreading across the roof. I’m really not sure what to make of this yet."
Melania Trump: "My heart breaks for the people of Paris"
First lady Melania Trump took to Twitter to offer her prayers for "everyone's safety" as a fire continues to rage at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
"My heart breaks for the people of Paris after seeing the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral," she said.
Read her tweet:
French President Emmanuel Macron: "Emotion for a whole nation" as Notre Dame burns
French President Emmanuel Macron just tweeted about the Notre Dame fire, saying that he was "sad tonight to see this part of us burn."
"Notre Dame of Paris in flames. Emotion for a whole nation. Thoughts for all Catholics and for all French. Like all our countrymen, I'm sad tonight to see this part of us burn," he said.
See his tweet:
French interior minister: Exceptional measures are being taken to save Notre Dame
From CNN's Hilary McGann and Martin Goillandeau
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said exceptional measures are being taken to try to save the cathedral.
“Support and solidarity with @PompiersParis (fire brigade) mobilized to save our common heritage, in the heart of Paris. An exceptional force was deployed by the @prefpolice (Paris police) to neutralize this violent fire. I share the immense emotion of the Parisians," Castaner tweeted.
Former French President François Hollande said on Twitter, “Notre Dame is our common heritage. It’s a wound to see it devastated by flames. Respects to the firemen trying to extinguish the fire."
What we know about the fire at Notre Dame cathedral so far
A fire broke out at the iconic Notre Dame cathedral in the heart of Paris on Monday evening.
Here's what we know about the blaze:
- The spire was destroyed: Large parts of the roof already appear to have been burned, CNN’s Melissa Bell, who is in Paris, reported. The spire collapsed during the fire.
- Firefighters tackled large flames: At least seven firetrucks were trying to tackle the flames, she said. The smell of smoke was emanating through the air and embers were falling from the sky.
- Cause unknown: The cause of the fire is still unclear.
- Police kept people away: Police urged everyone to avoid the area and emergency services pushed people away from the scene.
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NOW: Notre Dame's famous spire has fallen
The spire of the Notre Dame’s cathedral has collapsed, fully engulfed by flames.
Here's the moment that happened, from Twitter user Hash Miser:
French President Emmanuel Macron postpones planned speech because of fire
From CNN's Saskya Vandoorne
French President Emmanuel Macron postponed a planned speech tonight because of the ongoing fire at Notre Dame cathedral, a Élysée Palace spokesperson said.
In a statement, the spokesperson said, “Due to the terrible fire ravaging Notre-Dame-de-Paris, the President of the Republic has decided to postpone his speech.”