A major fire erupted in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday April 15th,2019 at 6.50 pm. Around 400 firefighters urgently took over the place deploying a huge number of ladders, fire hoses and other suitable equipment to fight the flames.
The French people were stunned standing in horror as they watched one of the city's most iconic sights burst into flames. Around 3.30 am, the firefighters could finally bring the fire under control.
Preliminary investigation officials began pointing strongly to an accidental fire. The incident is believed to have begun in the attic or roof of the ancient building for which a renovation was carried out. The fire is believed to have broken at the level of a scaffolding before fiercely spreading and destroying the carpentry along with a part of the structure.
The Notre Dame de Paris [4] is a landmark Gothic architectural feature which had been established from 1163 until 1345. It houses several relics including the Crown of Thorns, the tunic of Saint-Louis and a piece of the Cross of Christ. The Cathedral’s other precious relics could be saved and temporarily preserved in the Hôtel de Ville before being transferred to the Louvre museum. The organ of the Cathedral also remains intact.
Msgr.Patrick Chauvet, the Cathedral’s rector, evaluates the cost of the refurbishment for only the arrows and flying buttresses (Gothic architectural features) to 150 million EUR (169.6 million USD). Unfortunately, the damages caused by the fire of April 15th are tremendous and will surely exceed the aforementioned amount. The whole structure, the roof, the vaulted ceiling and a large part of the Cathedral are to be reconstructed.
The State, promising to restore the Cathedral, might launch a national subscribtion to fund the construction. The endowment fund established in 2014, will be channeled. Ultimately, the French Insurance Federation, after due evaluation of the responsibilities, urges the insurance companies involved in this claim to release the necessary funds for the restoration work.
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