notre dame took nearly 200 years to build. asi notre dame took nearly 200 years to build. as i say it was a miracle of the mediaeval era. it would not take that long to repair but it is a remarkable moment in the life of a building that tells the story of france. this is the building when the polio and was consecrated as amparo and at that point in the 19th century, notre dame was nearly 500 years old already. it is the antiquity of the building, the extent to which it is woven into the heart and story of france. the scale of the emotional impact that lucy describes in her report. it's why there are still crowds around me, even though it is iam here in paris. people are looking to see what happened to the building and what tomorrow will bring. it is an enormous moment in french history. president macron was due to make a speech tonight about politics, a response to the yellow vest protest we have seen in france recently. he cancelled that speeding came here instead, to speak about this cathedral and what it means to the french people and what will need to be done now that

that is the scene right now around notre dame. some other guest were saying there is history carved and —— carved deep into these buildings and there are not many buildings and there are not many buildings such as this one. it began in the 12th century and the major pa rt in the 12th century and the major part of this cathedral took about 100 years to build and in all about 200 years was not it does seem that quite possibly the stone in the vaulted interior may have prevented much of the fire from reaching the interior. more will become clear in the daylight. pol pot, one of the century's greatest mass murderers, is reported to have died of natural causes. he and the khmer rouge movement he led were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million cambodians. there have been violent protests in indonesia, where playboy has gone on sale for the first time. traditionalist muslim leaders have expressed disgust. the magazine's offices have been attacked and its editorial staff have gone into hiding. it was clear that paula's

groups came in notre dame. it's huge. it's huge. not only paris, not only french people. >> so, it's the place where is crowded, many people sitting, drinking, dancing. cafes to drink, it's very, very nice. and there is the sea not far. you know, boats, on the seine, and it's very -- i can't imagine how it is now. with the smoke. >> when you see the picture, it's just incredible. >> we actually saw in one of the shots that we had, there was one of those boats. the famous boats that go down the seine. we saw, as can you just imagine as tourists looking up, seeing flames. have you had a chance to talk to any of your neighbors, anyone else, what are you hearing from people back in paris? >> we can't even imagine that. >> catastrophic. nobody can believe it. you know, it's impossible. it's just such a symbol of france, paris, you know. nobody can believe it. and the roof is just -- it's destroyed. you know, unbelievable. >> look at the people around the place. >> there were huge crowds of people that started to gat

notre dame will survive. and today notre dame seems to matter more than ever to parisians, the people of france and people around the world. we are joined by yvonne who has been here for nine years and organises dutch tours, you're from the netherlands yourself, and aerial parisian, who has a british and french connection. with your lovely bike right next to us, when you do your tours of paris, how important is the notre dame cathedral? your tours of paris, how important is the notre dame cathedral7m your tours of paris, how important is the notre dame cathedral? it is a big one, one of my favourites, so we do highlight tours with a combination of the big monuments and the nice little streets behind, but notre dame is one of the favourite streets, for me, because i am a big fan of paris history and love to talk about the nasty and dirty history around notre dame. nasty, dirty history? a case of intrigue. kings have been crowned, celebrations, war is ended. kings have been crowned, celebrations, war is endedm

notre dame was falling apart. there's friends of notre dame that was trying to raise millions of dollars to renovate notre dame. you talk about the $6.8 million that they had to start a renovation. the building, the structure needed more than 100 million. maybe 200 million of renovation. but you don't know what it will take to rebuild. that's a whole other kind of money raising. we don't have the artisans, the masons that they had who constructed notre dame. one other thing about notre dame. the people that built notre dame, the artisans, the construction workers, the people that put the fine tuning on it all, they didn't build notre dame for their own glory. they built it for the glory of god. we don't know their names on purpose because they didn't want their glory to shout shine god. that's why paris is crying today. i worked through rockefeller center and saw many french tourists watching monitors with their mouths open and tears falling. they couldn't believe when they were seeing, neil. >> neil: lauren, you

notre dame." that made it on the public radar. the french government decided to restore it in the 1840s. in the 1850s, the area around the cathedral was opened up so you can get the view that is open today. that's why it's a major tourist attraction and symbol of the city of paris for so many millions of people. >> shepard: anyone who has been inside knows there's no place you can look where a piece of history did not sit or hang. >> absolutely true. especially true of the bell towers. i understand that the fire is spreading to those now. the bells in the bell tower, again, another important symbol for catholics. each of those bells has a name, a god parent and has tolled at various times in history for significant religious and secular events. >> shepard: stay with us if you would, troy feay from belmont abby college in charlotte. we have this new dispatch which has just come in from france 24 with the headline "paris is disfigured, crowds of stunned tourists and parisians. many watched in horro

we are just now getting images from the bbc from within notre dame. these are some of the first images coming into us here in the newsroom from within we are looking now at the devastation that has taken place. bearing in mind this cathedral has been burning, the fla mes this cathedral has been burning, the flames blazing, four hours. we are now looking at some of the devastation that has taken place and it is hard to believe that this has been taking place right in the centre of paris within notre dame. a place that is notjust important historically, but religiously and also musically as we were hearing there. this building means so much in so many ways to so many different people. these are the first images that we are seeing of the devastation from within notre dame. we will have more from paris in a moment. first, let's look at some of the day ‘s other news. the international committee of the red cross and sorry why the icrc says it knows that the nurse was seen alive late last year, but the two drivers have not been heard of since the abduction

so we went to visit notre dame on friday. and so today we were going to be walking to shakespeare and company, which is across the way. we saw a huge pillar of smoke and we were like oh, that looks like it's close to notre dame. we walked even closer and saw it was notre dame itself. >> when you were there, were there signs of construction, things that were normally accessible to tourists that weren't because of the construction? >> i don't believe so within the chur church. there were some parts off to the side that was closed off. but besides that, within the church, nothing was closed off, no. >> and you haven't seen any signs or heard anything about anyone being injured? >> no. the church closes at about 6:45 i believe to prepare for mass, because they have mass every evening. so from my understanding from what i've heard, no one has been injured. my guess would be most of the injuries, if any, occurred from this would have to be from the smoke. if you were down wind from this, it would be pretty bad. we were a couple of

notre dame is another one. i'm not sure how people would feel about that statement being made by me tonight. >> shepard: we know this -- this restoration project -- i remember the scaffolding has been going up for almost two years, hasn't it? >> well, yes. i have to say, you know, in the summer of 2017, they were kind of desperate, they were on a fund-raising campaign around the u.s. the catholic communities were going to be the biggest source of income because everybody knows it, notre dame. they did raise money, in france and much in the u.s. and they had to fund the construction projects, it might turn out, we don't know. just might turn out the very cause of the terrible fire was, in fact, the scaffolding around this construction. >> shepard: vivienne walt on the line, a free lance journalist in paris, watching in horror with us. the latest dispatch we're getting from around the facility, the center -- quoting from andy scott, who's on scene. the center of paris has come to a standstill. people looking towa

the notre dame cathedral is on fire. the roof and spire collapsing on the 800-year-old building which continues at this hour to be engulfed by smoke and flames. right now we're told more than 400 firefighters mobilized to try to save what's left of the cathedral, a cathedral we should note, is not just symbolic for france and not just for catholics, but for all of us around the world, for anyone who can appreciate beauty or godliness or history or architecture. as 19th century novelist victor hugo once rode of the notre dame cathedral, quote, every surface, every stone of this venerable pile is a page of the history, not only of the history, but of science and art. we're learning at this hour french president emmanuel macron was on the scene. we're not sure if he's still there. paris prosecutors have announced an investigation into this fire, even before it's been put out. world leaders have been offering prayers for france as the horrific fire continues. the question remaining, of course, what will be left of one of the

many serenading the burning notre dame. fergal keane looks now at what notre dame means to france and its people. in paris, the most desolate of skies, smoke and ruin and history billowing into the air. fire crews from across paris have come here to save whatever they possibly can, and the striking thing, standing among the crowds on the banks of the seine, isjust the silence, the quiet of people stunned by the destruction of notjust a great french cultural artefact, but of one that belonged to the world. notre dame de paris offered an image of france that seemed eternal, even if the age of kings and emperors and powerful cardinals had long past. it was built more than 800 years ago when kings ruled by divine right, and grand and great cathedrals of stone and stained glass were designed to reach for the sublime. so, this is an absolutely cultural disaster, for all of us, actually, notjust the french, but also of european significance. paris had been the sort of hot cauldron of gothic architecture from the 11th and 12th cent

notre dame is a huge symbol for the world. for everyone it is one of the most iconic images of france. you of the eififfel tower in n e ine, it has been c celebrated novels, films. this is also reminded us notre is connected to the history of our country. i was initially relieved this morning to see the structure there. the wooden structure just below is basically gone and we are about bits which had been assembled in the 13th centurury made with tree trurun, some age to the eighthth or ninh century. we did not know alall of itt and surprises. we will be able toto rebuild it bubut there is a sense o of irreparable -- loss. the world is feeling, not just france. of -- are the president this is holy week. the week that runs up to easter celebration. a crown of thorns is usually shown. that is going to be taking place , tell us more about the effect this devastation on the cathedral is having for catholics. >> this is a week associated withth chrhristians and catholis coming together sharing the key messssages. i think we already

dame all over the world. >> oh, yeah, you know, for so many of us, we've only seen notre dame in movies and read about it in religion classes or seen it referenced in art. but that's more than enough to make us stand in awe of notre dame from wherever we are in the world. this sketch echoing throughout the corners of the internet this morning like the bells of notre dame themselves. the instagram post showing quasimodo clinging to the cathedral he called home. this particular version of notre dame and its most famous fictional inhabitant from the disney film "the hunchback of notre dame." ♪ just to live one day out there ♪ >> reporter: the 850-year-old church a staple of pop culture, made famous worldwide in victor hugo's 1831 novel. almost two centuries ago hugo writing, the church of notre dame de paris still no doubt a majestic and sublime edifice. the film in 1939. and several musicals inspired by hugo's novel as well. notre dame providing a backdrop for many of the romantic big screen scenes. taking place in the city of love. gene kelly's "an american in paris" before sunset. >

notre dame destroyed. the 800-year-old notre dame cathedral, a symbol of paris, goes up in flames. its iconic spire has fallen. the roof has collapsed. and the rest of the structure is at grave risk as emergency crews try to evacuate precious artwork. >>> still burning, the cathedral has been burning now for hours and an orange glow now lights up the sky over paris. thousands of shocked onlookers are gathered while firefighters try desperately to save what remains of the landmark. we'll take you to the scene. >>> mueller is coming. the justice department says the redacted version of the mueller report will be released to congress and the public on thursday. the president is sending out anxious tweets, as his legal team prepares for the worst and gets ready to push back. >>> and blocking congress. despite a new demand by a powerful house committee, the white house is refusing to give up the president's tax returns and is rejecting other demands by democrats. who will win this battle? >>> we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer, you'

dame resembles the notre dame we know. you mention the crown of thorns, that's one of the relics meant be the be the crown of thorns that christ wore just before his crucifixion. and there's been a number of things that weren't saved, rather large paintings, huge paintings inside that were not able to be transported away from the fire. there's a lot of fear this morning there may not be anything left of a magnificent 8,000 pipe organ. it was a monument historic in itself. the five keyboard organ which for many of us who had the privilege of living here had in fact heard regular sunday afternoon organ concerts at notre dame. no more. and in fact the organ if itself which has been restored only in 2014 was probably destroyed by this. some things will be recovered and put back into place, but it's going to be a long, long reconstruction project, max. >> yeah, and lots of people looked on in horror as this tragedy unfolded last night. at a cafe nearby. what did you first learn about this? >> i was in the cafe about this time s

dame was 500 yea rs 19th at that point notre dame was 500 years old, part of the tapestry of french life. when you think about that arc of antiquity, get a sense of our he meant the task will be of restoring this building to the glory it once enjoyed and also the symbol of not just their faith it once enjoyed and also the symbol of notjust their faith but it once enjoyed and also the symbol of not just their faith but the french nation. let's take a look back at the cultural significance of notre dame. it has survived the french revolution and two world wars. it has towered over paris since the 13th century. notre dame sits in the very heart of paris, on the ile de la cite, an island in the middle of the river seine. the fire is believed to have started shortly before 7pm local time, shortly after the structure closed to the public. horrified crowds gathered along the banks of the river to watch their much loved catherdral landmark burn. fergal keane looks now at what notre dame means to france, and its people. in paris, the most desolate of skies, smoke and ruin and history billowi

i likely, i live fairly near notre dame. lam likely, i live fairly near notre dame. i am spending the night in a paris suburb this evening. so i am not actually at the scene. i haven't been able to go there. i have spoken toa numberof been able to go there. i have spoken to a number of people on the phone who had told me how nearby buildings have been evacuated and how there has been some anger, some questions about the authorities response to the fire, which a lot of people wondering why they couldn't do more or why they couldn't get helicopters in and why the fire brigades response doesn't really seem to have been able to tackle the blaze before it spread so rapidly through this 850—year—old cathedral that is so dear to so many meridians. thank you. let's try and talk now tojohn ritchie, a journalist who i believe is relatively close to the cathedral. hello. yes. iwas close until two minutes ago. cathedral. hello. yes. iwas close untiltwo minutes ago. -- ten minutes. pain is the picture. untiltwo minutes ago. -- ten minutes. pain is the picturelj untiltwo minut

the burning of the notre dame cathedral has again made us aware notre dame cathedral has again made us aware that we are bound by something more important and more profound than treaties. the french billionaire has pledged 100 million euros for the restoration effort. the prime minister was meeting his cabinet today to draw up a reconstruction plan and knows that france will be watching. surveys of the building are already under way. it was initially suggested the fire may have been caused by building work at the cathedral. questions remain about that, though, and about why a better plan for dealing with a fire on this scale was not in place. richard lister, bbc news. this cathedral has been hailed around the world as the heritage of humanity. magnificent gothic architecture which took 200 years to build and yet, injust hours, so much of it was lost. we heard from thejunior interior much of it was lost. we heard from the junior interior ministerjust how fragile that moment was. he said it was a question of 15 minutes or half an hour had it not been for the brave firefighters, 500 peopl

notre e dame is a really powerfl symbol for me. reporter: no one could tell if the firefighters would succeed in extinguishing the blaze. the cathedral h h never burned like thiss bore. the woodd is nearly 1000 years old. >> notre dame is my heart and soul.. i was born in paris. this is the most important building for me. everyoyone wept tonight. we are all together. jews, m muslims, people o of co. everyone is united.d. reporter: somome spent the whole night here in a kind of vigil. the all clear signal came in the morning. the cathedral was still standing but the damage is colossal. even though the most important art treasures had been brought to safety. a longtime member of the paris diocese is relieved and moved by the way the trtragedy broughght people of many faiths together. >> last night the chief rabbi of francece quoted the e old testa. my house should be calllled a house of prayer for all peoplpl, and that i is exactly what notre dadame is for christians and jes alike, muslims, even nonbelievers. rereporter: he s sees a

dame, notre dame our lady. so the spirituality which is so powerfully behind the buildings is there for catholics and it's happening in holy week, the most sacred time of year is the most devastating. >> for all the wrong reasons i hope you can get to a television as soon as you can there. we're watching now as they're fighting an interior fire in one of the central stone towers. we're hoping it can get knocked down. they have a snorkel on it now. getting high water on this fire was a big problem, remains a big problem for paris firefighters. americans not familiar with the scope, the sheer dimensions of this building, probably can't understand why a fire boat can't come around the front and put this out. they discussed fire drops. and that was believed to be -- to perhaps do more damage than hoses in fighting this fire. but the world has suffered a tremendous loss today. bishop robert barren, thank you for joining us, auxiliary bishop of the diocese of los angeles. let's stay on this picture. we have a schemat

notre—dame, it, that isjust one tra nsept. notre—dame has notre—dame, it, that isjust one transept. notre—dame has lost the choir, knave and two transepts so it isa choir, knave and two transepts so it is a huge... four or five times the size we are talking about. yes. everything up here looks like stone, it is all wood. it all came plummeting to the ground. yes. inside i met masterjoining geoff, another veteran of that day 35 years ago, the challenge facing them, there were no plan, walls move when they lose their roofs and giant oak beams are these days rare. however... you have no fears that notre—dame can do what you did? absolutely, yes, no problem. to a voice for could they tell the difference? no. it looks like a medieval roof we are looking at and it is your handy work. and many others. the message from york notre—dame is facing a hugejob but it can be done. the only memory of the fire here, two small a huge amount of money being donated for the restoration. yes, this is a huge restoration reconstruction project, just how big exactly we don't quite know yet, you can pr

massive fire at the historic notre dame cathedral. billowing smoke can be seen at this moment from the medieval monument where the notre dame cathedral is now engulfed in flames. for the last hour or so we've been getting these dramatic images from the city center. witnesses at the scene say pieces of ash are flying and we are hear iing the roof has cave in. incredible loss for paris. with paris city hall telling nbc news that the fire is spreading. the cause of the blaze at this point remains unclear. and as we look at this, i want you to look at the spire falling. we know that the paris mayor has urged the public to respect the security perimerter around the cathedral while emergency services are tackling the fire. emanuel macron has confirmed he has canceled his televised speech that was supposed to take place. this is 8:00 p.m. in paris over the last hour. we have seen the situation only get worse. local media has reported that police there are treating the incident as an accident. we know the cathedral was under renovations. anne

the cathedral of notre dame. so many of you watching us all around the world right now in c cnn's special coverage. if you've been blessed to live there or visit, the memories are deep. whi clarissa ward said when you walk inside that place, you are awe struck with the humility that there is something bigger in that world than you. that's what the architecture spoke to. that's what it's existing over the eras, over the centuries, the something beautiful existing through the best and worst of times. this was a living monument to the durability of beauty and of higher beliefs. and now it is being ravaged by flame, tons of scaffolding around it, it was going through a period of renovation. that stuff works as fuel, fire so hot it burned through a stone roof, took down one of the most famous symbols of aspiration in the world, the spire atop notre dame, literally fell down into the body of the church early on. such a devastating moment. the symbolism, the reminders. yes, i hear your messages from my brothers and sist

notre dame cathedral still stands. the part that blazed long into the night has ended and this morning in the cold light of day, a huge sense of relief and determination to rebuild this magnificent cathedral again. it cathedral of cathedrals, hailed around the world as the heritage of all humanity. the first reports by experts who went inside this magnificent building this morning is that there is hundreds of millions of euros in damage but pledges to rebuild notre dame are already coming in and there is good news that so much has been saved. our first report is from richard lister. roofless, smoke scarred but still standing. there were times overnight when many feared this ancient cathedral would not survive the inferno. but those assessing the damage today are now confident the worst is over. translation: the whole fire is out. now we are investigating and a set of experts is analysing all the structures to establish what we do next to consolidate the building. it was a cauldron of fire, flames racing through the med

a notre dame is quite a building. it needed work before this restoration started and i think this really adds to the complications that it will face, but it will be done. i mean, obviously, the wooden roof was the part of the building that was on fire, inflames, this fire collapsed, it would seem the masonry, the stone element of notre dame is ok. give us your take on that. well, i would say it survives. it doesn't mean there wasn't damage. there is going to be damage. it appears that when you are in the cathedral, you look up, even 110w in the cathedral, you look up, even now they have pictures showing that the naver roof, the vaulted ceiling, still looking pretty much intact. and it is primarily where the spire and are treated the roof and came down is what broke through the vaulted ceiling —— penetrated. at that vaulted ceiling is above it, that vaulted ceiling is above it, thatis that vaulted ceiling is above it, that is where the timber structure was. it appears that the fire was all in that space between the

the fire in notre dame reminds us that out fire in notre dame reminds us that our history never stops, never. and that we will always have trials to overcome. and what we think is in some sense indestructible can in fa ct some sense indestructible can in fact be destroyed. all the material and spiritual assets of france are fragile and we should never forget that, and it is up to us, the men and women of france today, to ensure throughout history this great continuity which is at the centre of french identity. it is for this reason that this evening i wanted to address you directly, because it is oui’ address you directly, because it is our duty today and this is what we must always be mindful of. i will come back to you in the upcoming days to urge you to act collectively after a great debate, but that is not the business of today. we know we have to offer that but it is not time for that yet. letters remember the last couple of hours of last night and the early morning today. each and every person sacrificed, gave what they had. the firefighters have fought with heroism, the polic

obviously the most iconic part of notre—dame is, as you we re iconic part of notre—dame is, as you were saying, the north and south towers there, which are much earlier. they go back to the initial construction of the building and they were built in the 13th century. the building are julie, they were built in the 13th century. the building arejulie, a very important part of the early gothic works that started in about 1163, the foundation stone. in the works we re the foundation stone. in the works were largely finished about 100 yea rs were largely finished about 100 years ago. and then obviously later, they continued to do renovation works in addition. danny, thank you very much. we appreciate you stepping up from the newsroom. that is danny aeberhard, who works as europe editorfor is danny aeberhard, who works as europe editor for the is danny aeberhard, who works as europe editorfor the bbc radio service. let me read to read a couple of things. if you're not familiar with the geography of central paris, let me show you where going cathedral is. it is on an island just in the middle

with much more on the fire at notre dame. including a look at the cathedral's rich history and importance to the french people. >>> we will rebuild. the president of france. that was what he said in relation sot building behind. you can see the famous facade of notre dame looked unharmed. firefighters and engineering scaling. behind that it is a scene of utter devastation. the roof collapsing the spire collapsing and causing damage. it's been devastating for people to come and see. also great amount of hep hope here. that people were injured apart from one firefighter. and much has been saved including the relics inside. some lost too of course. here's an assessment of what happened over night. >> what two world wars and a bloody revolution fail to do, has this monday been horribly rot. upon the beautiful and bes loved buildings. the fabled notre dame cathedral. has been burned. graceful form rendered blank and in place is barely recognizable. it is a calamity of incalculatable proportion. heart of europes nation has been pie

we were actually outside notre dame. went were actually outside notre dame. we nt a cross were actually outside notre dame. went across the river to the main square. we saw went across the river to the main square. we saw some went across the river to the main square. we saw some smoke coming from underneath the spire. nobody really taking notice, but the smoke ended up getting bigger and bigger and eventually a small crowd gathered and it was obsolete summing very bad going on. it took hold very quickly. we started making our way to the metro, but less than an hour later, the place wasjust to the metro, but less than an hour later, the place was just engulfed. my later, the place was just engulfed. my son saw the roof collapsed on the left—hand side... my son saw the roof collapsed on the left-hand side... did you hear anything when the smoke started? was there any indication at all of how this could have started? no, not at all. no one is really paying much attention to it. no one noticed loads going on until it took hold. and what was the reaction of peo

notre-dame offered a vision of france that seemed eternal. even as the age of kings and emperors and powerful cardinals had long passed. it was built more an 800 years ago, when kings ruled by divine right. grant and great cathedrals of stone were decided to reach for the sublime. >> ts is absolutely a cultural disaster for all of us, not just the french, but european signicance. harris had been the hot cauldron -- paris had been the hot cauldron of topic architectur -- gothic architecture from the 11th and 12th centuries. it influenced all our subsequent cathedrals. fergal: notre dame survived britain's devastating wars of religion. it napoleon was crowned emperor by the pope. at thend of world war ii, the bells of notre-dame rang in the hour of liberation. its glories are a source of pride for the people of the city. >> i speak to your english audience to share my immense sorrow, my immense pain, in front of this catastrophe that has befallen notre-me. i have lived here for more than 30 years. my three children were baptized here. what the

they continue to burn that roof of notre dame. but clearly, that water that is now from the hoses making it way to the fire is having some effect. you can see it by the amount of smoke billowing out. it has changed color. there isn't as much of it. the cinders falling from the sky falling a few moments ago onto our hair have stopped falling. some degree of control is being brought to this fire. but still, this is likely to go on for some time. it was a very large fire at its height. that hire rooftop of notre dame for a while was consumed by flames that went up as high as the two towers of that facade, that iconic facade. that's how high those flames were only about 20 minutes ago. some progress is being made. this is a very violent fire that raged suddenly and took over a very large part of notre dame cathedral. it will take some time to put it out entirely. >> so you were on the front side of the cathedral of notre dame. you are seeing through the facade that view. we are seeing the exact opposite view in the pictures that we're

dame, so on colleague in america of notre dame, soona colleague in america of notre dame, so on a practical level they have an accurate interior model of how that space in notre dame was built, before the fire. they can use that to predict and help with the rebuilding process, to put each stone back potentially, in exactly the same place. that raises a philosophical question, doesn't it? of can you put history back? and indeed, should you? what do you think about that? it's difficult. if you look at the cathedrals themselves, they evolve over hundreds of years. take gloucester cathedral, another site we are looking at, that has very different components, norman elements, gothic elements, 19th—century interventions as well. i think we have to take the fact that these cathedrals are evolving, but, yes, certainly, it is an issue, putting something new back in. there are other sites, for example, a church in germany bombed by the allies in the second world war, there were questions about whether it should be rebuilt or not. it's a difficult one. i want to solve it, but i suppose the conclusio

notre dame. i have lived here for more than 30 years, my three children were baptised here. what the germans did not destroy was ruined by stupid fire. higher and higher, it goes up... the fear of devastating fire was always present. this was the mid—1930s, when the paris fire service drilled for such an eventuality, but it was a renovation in the modern age that prove catastrophic. these statues were moved for protection just last week. tonight, paris feels like a city that is mourning the loss of an essential part of itself. fergal keane, bbc news, paris. earlier i spoke with margot fassler a specialist in medieval music from the university of notre dame in indiana — aboutjust how significant this loss is to the world of sacred music. well, the cathedral of notre dame of course has a mediaeval acoustic and so that means you have very high reverberation so it is excellent for chant. one of the most exciting times in my life, and i speak here as a mediaeval musicologist, i just want to expres

discussion for notre dame? what would you like to see ?|j discussion for notre dame? what would you like to see? i cannot really imagine them radically altering the look and the feel of it. i'm sure they will want to use very modern techniques come up or tickly around compartmentalization of the roof spaces to stop any possibility of fire spreading. it will use much more modern materials iimagine. will use much more modern materials i imagine. but i suspect there will tried to keep the output shape very much the sense in keeping what is already there. do you think this will perhaps bring more attention to restoration projects like yours, not only in england but around the world ? only in england but around the world? i only in england but around the world ? i have only in england but around the world? i have seen hillary clinton tweeting in the last hour or so saying our thoughts and hearts are in paris but there is also problems with churches, some of the black churches in america, people in the moon for donating, please support them too. i think that is absolutely r

to the notre dame cathedral spokesman. we have seen in the last few minutes that the spire has collapsed in a side but that we heard from an eyewitness that parks have been are breaking golf come a tremendous level of heat, and acrid, a smell of heat. —— breaking off at a smell of heat. —— breaking off at a two minute level. the police are wanting everybody to stay away. there is a risk of further collapse of that building of the area. it is normally a very popular monument with a lot of tourist and visitors around. that area right by the river seine, we can hear the alarms there, and of course, you can see those fla mes and of course, you can see those flames are burning through that 12th—century cathedral, notre dame, the flames behind those buildings and not clear how fast. how the firefighters will be able to get those under control. they are ripping through there. the more you look at the pictures, the more you wonder if there will be anything left. the walls are stone, so one would hope they will obviously

la catedral de notre-dame en la ciudad de un devastador incendio destruye hoy la catedral de notre dame, uno de los lugares mas emblematicos de francia y del mundo.las llamas, el humo y las cenizas han salido durante horas del techo del inconico edificio construido en el siglo doce... los bomberos dicen que es posible que el incendio se haya debido a un proyecto de renovacion en la aguja de la iglesia y sus 250 toneledas de plomo.... no se ha informado oficialmente de victimas, pero la catastrofe ocurrio en momentos en que la iglesia y sus alrededores estaban abarrotados de visitantes.... y como no, si estamos habladno de una de las visitas obligadas en paris! y ademas coincido con semana santa donde cientos de turistas estaban de visita en esta edificacion de mas de 850 anos! ahora vamos a marchar con carolina vela. adelante, carolina con la Última informaciÓn. carolina: asÍ es. estamos en este momento con parÍs, francia. me encuentro justamente donde estÁ la catedral de notre-dame. lo que sucediÓ fue algo que consternÓ al resto del mundo. me imagino que ustedes tambiÉn estÁn

notre dame is a symbol of france and our european culture. british prime minister theresa may tweeted: my thoughts are with the people of france tonight and with the emergency services who are fighting the terrible blaze at notre dame cathedral. president trump gave this response: so horrible to watch the massive fire at notre dame cathedral in paris. god bless the people of france! i want to pick up on donald trump because a little earlier he suggested that perhaps flying water tankers could be used adding that people must act quickly but the french interior minister and civil service and crisis management service and crisis management service was quickly to tweet in english, not in french, that they we re english, not in french, that they were doing everything that they could to keep it under control except for water bombing aircraft because it could have collapsed the entire cathedral. pretty quick to review donald trump there. trump's predecessor barack 0bama said: notre dame is one of the world's great treasures. it's in our nature to mo

notre dame would survive. and they said major art and relics, including the holy crown of thousands, were saved. parisians came out to sing hymns for their beloved cathedral and praise the firefighters. the french president telling the nation the worst has been avoided. notre dame will be rebuilt because it is what the french expect and what their history deserves. parisians have vowed to restore notre dame. donations pouring in. two of france's richest families have pledged some $340 million, a leading european architect said repairing notre dame could take decades. with me now, chris jansing. she knows this city very well. and let's start with you. let's talk about what we're seeing right now. we've seen these workers atop the right tower there. what more do we know about the efforts that's been undertaken right now? >> it's dangerous work. it's necessary work. there's two urgent needs. even as the city is still in mourning, they're trying to come to grips with the emotion. they know the engineers, they have

notre dame p°p5 up my literature degree. notre dame pops up in so many cultural references. so it is quite emotional andi references. so it is quite emotional and i am sure parisien ‘s... i have had many messages from my parisien friends who are close to tears. give us friends who are close to tears. give usa friends who are close to tears. give us a flavour of why they are, what are they saying? we've seen a lot of social media but what are people saying to you? it is unsettling. a friend and i were debating going to have a look but you are so used to it, it is part of the furniture you just see it. this but to see it gutted by flames are scary. thank you both very much for those thoughts. we can see the night—time shot with the debts still trained on notre dame. the fla mes still trained on notre dame. the flames are still burning but i imagine it would still take quite a few hours. i think the interesting thing about the cultural status of notre dame is that its only rival on the skyline is the eiffel tower and it's been there for 100 years, this building, for 1200 an

let's return to the fire at the notre dame cathedral. authorities believe it was an accident, not arson. the spire and much of the roof of the medieval cathedral collapsed during the fire, but the main structure was saved and emergency teams managed to rescue valuable artworks and religious items. this morning, cardinal vincent nichols, the archbishop of westminster, talked about his deep shock over the blaze. well, as i watched last night, i was very deeply shocked, very deeply shocked. and, you know, just felt alongside the people who lined the streets of paris and shared their tears actually, because here was a cathedral that, for 850 years, as it were, overlooked the whole life of paris, and of france, and stood for so much and it was being consumed by flames in front of our eyes. so i was, i think, as shocked as people all over the world to see this moment of great tragedy and to feel so helpless. andrew tremlett is the dean of durham cathedral, which has a similar structure to notre dame. he says those in charge of the church are a

i want to bring in cnn melissa bell outside of notre dame. you were on the air exactly this time yesterday talking about the scene, the horrific scene. and also noticing it looked like the fact that there was a -- a lack of firefighters on the scene. but now a day later we've learned a lot more about their response. what can you tell us? >> reporter: that is right. we've learned a lot more about the reseiss sequence of events. by this time 24 hours ago, 8:00 p.m. local, night is falling as it is tonight and the flames were finally beginning not quite to be brought under control because the fire did rage on for many hours afterward and we could watch and see it over -- over the edge of theetive as that is still standing behind me but the plumes of smoke had turn from the darker shades had been billowing up from the roof of notre dame to something slightly lighter suggesting the firefighters were getting it under control. what we understand now happened was that at 6:20 local time, a first fire alarm went off. no fire was detected but the cathe

>> you know, i've been passing by notre dame for years. i was looking at it, and at the time, i didn't think that i would be so emotional looking at the fire, looking at this destruction and suddenly i realized, and i didn't know it, that actually it's 1,000 years of our history. it's really a part of our national identity, which is burning. and i was surprised to cry in front of the tv set. >> of course, it's not just the structure. it's the history. it's the icons inside. it's the artwork. it is so essential to the city of paris, and the nation of france. >> of course, yes. i think, i hope, i heard that the holy crown of thorns and the other relics are being saved. i'm not 100% sure, but i heard a priest actually saying that. so to answer to your colleague in rome, at least, you know, this part of the church, which is of course, a very important one, has been preserved, but i fear, like the way he did, i fear that the glasses, which were amazing, i fear that the glasses have not resisted the extreme heat. >> yes, i just don't know how th

dame, notre dame. this is something affecting a lot of people and people are emailing and texting and saying i'm headed to notre dame and they are saying oh, my god, oh, my god, hand that is shows what it is and means to the country and to the country and obviously everybody is hoping that the damage can be contained than they can rebuild this beautiful site. it's been heartbreaking to see it covered in smoke right now. >> and so you were inside the cathedral yesterday, hadas? >> reporter: yes. i was just visiting as a tourist because when you're going as a tifrt you have to go to notre dame. it's like the eiffel tower. >> of course. >> reporter: it's almost like a pilgrimage it's so beautiful. >> tell us about inside because what we're seeing, we're seeing the flames outside decimating the roof and decimating the fire behind the facade. the question is going to be as well what is the damage like inside? tell us about the damage inside the cathedral. >> reporter: i mean, the inside is a wey-inspiring.

"notre—dame is my mother," he told me. "i came into the spiritual life because of her." "31 years ago, i was ordained here." "today, my mother has been burned." "she cries, but she still stands." yet to see what's happened as only a french loss is to misunderstand the meaning of this city, the universality of its treasures. francesca harter is a german who lives in paris because, as a teenager, she visited notre—dame and was enchanted. today, she could feel hope and renewal. it reminds me somehow that the church is not stones, it's not only culture. for me, it's a living community, actually. it's the people who go to the church who are the very core of our faith. so we are believing in hope being stronger than destruction and in life being stronger than death, and life that will eventually win. for generations, artists have sketched and painted on the banks of the seine. laurent was here this morning to sketch the old spire from memory. he's not a religious man, but he is a proud parisian and through his art wants to giv

i wa nt to in notre dame is a terrible event. i want to first think the firefighters, 500 of whom have battled the flames for several hours and will keep doing so for several more and maybe for several days. the fla mes more and maybe for several days. the flames are slowly beginning to subside now but the damage is just beginning to reveal itself. the destruction of this mediaeval symbol of paris is left the city under a pall of shock and smoke. people packed into the streets around barely spoke, just watched. those who found the words for their impressions, one after the other, all said the same. translation: this is awful, it's terribly sad. it is terrifying. the fire is uncontrollable. i've been here for one hour and there is nothing we can do. the deputy mayor of paris confirmed the fire started on the roof and quickly spread. the cause isn't clear. police have begun an investigation but some have questioned whether extensive renovation work currently under way here might have sparked this massive blaze. the task now is to a

the spire atop the cathedral of notre dame i notre dame is burning, and no doubt will soon collapse. much of notre dame is engulfed in flames. inexplicably, and with no information, no water is being put on this building. in the heart of paris, as we approach them down, in the city of lights, notre dame is burnin burning. and no one, so far, has been able to begin the process of putting it out. the original word came more than two hours ago, there had been fired. there was construction is there so often is at notre dame, and the construction site was believed to be the spot where the initial fire began to burn. that was the first word we received in the very early go. my goodness, as you can see, this fire has fully engulfed notre dame. while it was that in the early going they weren't able to put out what was described to us in the very beginning as a small fire, just for some context, the french news agencies, agency french press and some of the others, were not in local and live coverage of this from the very beginning because this fire was described as very small. why they weren'

yes, we will rebuild the cathedral of notre dame yes, we will rebuild the cathedral of notre—dame and make it even better than before. his pledge comes as hundreds gather in paris for a vigil to honour the city's much—loved landmark. i'm rico hizon, in singapore, also in the programme: the stage is set for indonesia's elections but religious issues crowd out the country's other concerns. and pushing for a bigger voice in afghanistan — we have a special report on the changing role of women in a deeply conservative society. live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news — it's newsday. a very warm welcome to the programme. it's midnight in london, 7am in singapore and 1am in paris. just 2a hours after notre—dame burned and the worst was feared, there is tonight a mixture of grief, defiance and hope in paris. hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring in to rebuild the landmark cathedral within the next five years. the french president emmanuel macron says it will be even more beautiful than before. however many art works inside the building have been lost

notre dame cathedral. after nine hours, firefighters have extinguished the blaze, capturing the world's attention for all the hours as it raged. look at notre dame this morning. look at these before and after images from inside the blackened cathedral. you can see the crucifix illuminated amid the destruction. macron is pledging to rebuild the cathedral that is at the heart of paris and soul of light for more than 850 years. millions have pledged to restore notre dame to its full glory. officials believe the fire started in the wooden beams that make up the church's roof. >> the flames erupted late monday and quickly engulfed the masterpiece. more than 400 firefighters battling the flames, in hopes of saving it from collapsing. we watched in horror as the cathedral's spiral toppled, falling through the roof and changing the skyline. the faithful singing hymns as they watched the powerful symbol of catholicism and france burn. stone construction of the cathedral have been saved, along with many of the churc

"notre—dame is my mother," he told me. "i came into the spiritual life because of her." "31 years ago, i was ordained here." "today, my mother has been burned." "she cries, but she still stands." yet to see what's happened as only a french loss is to misunderstand the meaning of this city, the universality of its treasures. francesca harter is a german who lives in paris because, as a teenager, she visited notre—dame and was enchanted. today, she could feel hope and renewal. it reminds me somehow that the church is not stones, it's not only culture. for me, it's a living community, actually. it's the people who go to the church who are the very core of our faith. so we are believing in hope being stronger than destruction and in life being stronger than death, and life that will eventually win. for generations, artists have sketched and painted on the banks of the seine. laurent was here this morning to sketch the old spire from memory. he's not a religious man, but he is a proud parisian and through his art wants to giv

. >> the fire at notre dame is now under control. but the word said and heartbreak being used to describe the damage inside. people have been lining up to watch. >> it's about 3:00 a.m. firefighters are still there. earlier the fire was sending up an eerie glow. >> as bad as it looked visually. we haven't heard of anyone being hurt. you can see the smoke rising especially around the alter. >> take a look at video of what the interior looked like before the fire. firefighters say the main structure as well as the most precious art work has been saved. also the two iconic towers in front have been saved. >> reaction has been coming in all day. people learn of one of frances biggest symbols burning. >> we begin with news reporters live now from san francisco international airport. >> people we spoke with say they found out after their plane landed mostly through texts from loved ones. >> as flights from europe arrived in an fran today. word spread. >>