A fire broke out in the roof space of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris during renovation works, destroying the timber roof structure and causing the nineteenth-century spire to collapse.
Some four hundred firefighters worked through the night, concentrating on preventing the north tower from catching. The great organ, the rose windows and most of the relics and artworks were saved.
President Emmanuel Macron pledged reconstruction within five years, and donations exceeding €800m were pledged within days. The cathedral reopened to worship in December 2024.
