Gyanmandu:
Notre Dame, the famous Catholic Cathedral that's stood in Paris for more than 800 years, is currently on fire, and at around 1:50pm ET, the 300-foot spire, which dates back to 1345, had already collapsed. Firefighters extinguished the fire after battling it for nine hours, around 400 firefighters were involved. The Ile de la Cite, the island in Paris where Notre Dame is located, is being evacuated. While the source of the fire is unknown, early reports speculate that it might be related to ongoing renovation work on the cathedral.the President of the Ile de France region in which Paris lies, has told reporters that the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral was an accident.
Construction began on the cathedral in 1160 and was completed nearly two centuries later. In its history, the tower stood over world-changing events like the French Revolution, the crowning of Napoleon Bonaparte, and served as the scene for one of Victor Hugo's most famous novels. Within its halls, a mass was held in 1944 to celebrate the liberation of Paris from Nazi Germany. It's place in French history cannot be overstated. Nearly 13 million people visit Notre Dame every year, or about 30,000 a day, according to The Times.
Billionaires and businesses continue to pledge vast financial sums towards the rebuild of the Notre Dame.The total amount pledged by French businesses and business leaders is so far is €401 million ($453 million). That number doesn't include the €50 million euros ($56 million) put towards the Cathedral by Paris city hall.
