text: Notre-Dame cathedral, iconic Paris landmark, engulfed in fire - The Hindu
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  Landmark on fire: Flames burst through the roof of the Notre-Dame cathedral and engulfed the spire. | Photo Credit: JULIE CARRIAT
  French President Emmanuel Macron says the 'worst has been avoided', pledges to rebuild the Notre-Dame cathedral with crowdfunding after devastating fire
  Cathedral will be rebuilt: Macron
  "We will rebuild it together. It will undoubtedly be part of French destiny and our project for the years to come," a visibly moved Mr. Macron said.
  Distraught citizens and stunned tourists gazed in disbelief as the inferno raged at the cathedral, which sits on the Ile de la Cite, an island in the River Seine and marks the very centre of Paris.
  Mr. Macron cancelled an address to the nation that he had been due to give on Monday evening in a bid to answer a wave of street protests that has rocked his presidency. Instead he went to the scene of the blaze with his wife Brigitte and some of his ministers. He thanked and congratulated emergency services and firefighters.
  The French Civil Security service, possibly responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that firefighters "act quickly" and employ flying water tankers, said that was not an option as it might destroy the entire building.
  German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the cathedral a "symbol of France and our European culture". British Prime Minister Theresa May said her thoughts were with the French people and emergency services fighting the "terrible blaze".
  The cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century, features in Victor Hugo's classic novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame". It is a UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts millions of tourists every year.
  Its 100-metre-long roof, of which a large section was consumed in the first hour of the blaze, was one of the oldest such structures in Paris, according to the cathedrals website.
  It was ransacked by rioting Protestant Huguenots in the 16th century, pillaged again during the French Revolution of the 1790s and left in a state of semi-neglect. Hugos 1831 work led to revived interest in the cathedral and a major partly botched restoration that began in 1844.
  "I asked our Lord - but why?" Monsignor Patrick Chauvet, the top administrative cleric at Notre-Dame, said at the scene. "It's terrible to see our cathedral damaged like this."
  Printable version | Aug 5, 2020 3:25:13 AM | https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/fire-devastates-paris-iconic-notre-dame-cathedral/article26850959.ece