A fire started at the Notre Dame Cathedral in the centre of the French capital on Monday at around 6:50 pm local time, according to the fire department.
AFP reported citing sources that the fire could have been caused by renovation works that were underway inside the building.
Reacting to the reports about the blaze engulfing the Notre Dame, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the 'terrible fire' forced him to cancel a planned address to the nation that was set to take place on Monday evening.
READ MORE: WATCH LIVE as Paris' Legendary Notre Dame Cathedral Burns
Numerous photos and videos uploaded by social media users show clouds of smoke coming out of the building.
Horrible #NotreDame pic.twitter.com/BndHQRO1b5
— Solveig Godeluck (@Solwii) 15 апреля 2019 г.
Smoke billowing from Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. pic.twitter.com/mvx4jN19fH
— David Almacy (@almacy) 15 апреля 2019 г.
#NotreDame on fire 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2o6fdFmLbC
— Liam Taylor (@LiamMTaylor) 15 апреля 2019 г.
The site close to the 850-year-old cathedral has been cleared, according to a city hall spokesperson.
