PARIS, April 15. /TASS/. A fire broke out the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday night, the AFP news agency reported, citing the firefighters.
According to preliminary data, the fire broke out at about 6:50 pm (7:50 MSK) on the upper levels of the building and could be caused by the ongoing renovation works.
Footages posted by eyewitnesses on Twitter show puffs of smoke rising above the cathedral. Firefighters are working at the site.
"A terrible fire is on in the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. Firefighters are working at the scene, the mayor’s office works closely with the parish to cope with the fire," Mayor of Paris Ann Hidalgo wrote on Twitter.
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
Hidalgo also called on Parisians not to violate the security perimeter installed around the cathedral.".
Horrible #NotreDame pic.twitter.com/BndHQRO1b5
— Solveig Godeluck (@Solwii) 15 April 2019