A CATASTROPHIC fire at Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral has left a nation mourning the devastation of its cultural and historic “epicentre” and sent shockwaves across Glasgow and the rest of the world.
Hundreds of firefighters tackled the historic blaze through the night, battling to stop it wreaking complete destruction of the treasured facade after flames torched the roof, sending its spire crashing to the ground before crowds of horrified Parisians.
Meanwhile, teams raced to recover what treasures they could from the 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece, which housed priceless artefacts and relics of huge religious and international significance.
As the great cathedral burned, the people of Glasgow took to social media to share words of support months after the world-renowned Glasgow School of Art, on Renfrew Street, also went up in flames mid-restoration:
We feel the pain in Glasgow. This is heartbreaking. My daughters all go to Notre Dame schools in Glasgow, part of the family. Our prayers go out to our brothers and sisters in Paris tonight 🏴🇨🇵😟💔
— Stuart Bateman 🏴 (@BatemanStuart1) 15 April 2019
Garnethill sends love and thoughts to our friends in Île de la Cité as they deal with the awful fire in Notre Dame Cathedral. We know the pain you are feeling, and we stand with you tonight and in the days to come as you rebuild your beautiful building. Nous sommes désolé x pic.twitter.com/2h2AD2pgek
— Garnethill Community Council (@GarnethillCC) 15 April 2019
You don't have to be Christian to feel the loss of the Notre Dame Cathedral
— Alan Fisher🍏 (@AlanFisher_) 15 April 2019
All that history
All that art#NotreDame #Paris pic.twitter.com/6E5SKNk1iQ
#NotreDame when you realise this has gone, calling this a disaster doesn't suffice pic.twitter.com/YYeEQUYKTl
— Stewart Weir (@sweirz) 15 April 2019
Sending thoughts and prayers to the firefighters tackling the blaze at #NotreDame - one of whom has reportedly been seriously injured. They so often remain nameless and faceless, they don't seek anyone's thanks, they just do it. We owe so much to amazing people such as these ❤
— Captain Haggerty (@AngelaHaggerty) 15 April 2019
What great sadness to see this wonderful cathedral burning. Truly devastating for the French. #NotreDame 🇫🇷💔 https://t.co/KAfChebkxR
— Annie Wells MSP (@AnnieWellsMSP) 15 April 2019
We in Glasgow @UofGlasgow are so very sorry to see what is happening in Paris and to the iconic Notre Dame - we feel close to our partners and friends in Paris and in France at this time 🇫🇷 @ParisDiderot @FranceintheUK #NotreDame
— Anton Muscatelli (@UofGVC) 15 April 2019
An image that speaks volumes about the heartache felt over #NotreDame - police have been trying to keep people away from the area but many refuse to look away and have lined the banks of the Seine, some openly crying. Via @AFP pic.twitter.com/M4uN5tRNUP
— Mary McCool (@McCoolWrites) 15 April 2019
Please, my dear cartoonists, take a night off. Parisians singing Ave Maria as Notre-Dame’s embers drift in the evening air is it, the so-poignant-it-hurts, can’t-be-bettered image. We don’t need a crying gargoyle, crying Quasimodo, crying Victor Hugo, crying Marianne etcetera.
— Terry Anderson (@Schism_Schasm) 15 April 2019
here's photos I took of notre dame. You can rebuild the stonework, but there's so much interior stuff that can't be replaced, including the tunic of Louis IX from ... long long ago https://t.co/ToPNI3JVi3 pic.twitter.com/6utd7D465k
— Patrick McGuire (@paddimir) 15 April 2019
These firefighters are heroes and can’t be praised enough. I hope all of Europe will contribute to bringing Notre Dame back to its former glory. Some things unite us all and are too important - this is one of them. https://t.co/UHbPZTDpl8
— Toni Giugliano (@ToniGiugliano) 15 April 2019
This is truly devastating. What a cultural tragedy, not just for Paris and France, but for the world. #NotreDame 💔 https://t.co/dDp5LwwMxX
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) 15 April 2019
I can’t believe that yesterday afternoon I was jogging past Notre-Dame cathedral during the marathon, gazing across the Seine at it in complete awe, and now it’s in flames crumbling to the ground 😢 it’s just devastating. #NotreDameFire
— Claire Stanley (@brooksybradshaw) 15 April 2019
Still horrific to watch, but some relief it seems. The opportunity is there to rebuild this icon of human civilisation. #NotreDame https://t.co/aa7L9x7mAw
— Paul Sweeney MP (@PaulJSweeney) 15 April 2019
Cannot get it out my head that I shared a post about how much I love the hunchback of notre dame and this happens. One of the most beautiful sights I’ve had the pleasure of seeing pic.twitter.com/9yrUbpNHp0
— mia (@ohmiaohmy1) 15 April 2019
Paris I’ve been to six times and I will be visiting for a 7th in October has always been my favourite city. Notre Dame is probably it’s most iconic building and it’s tragic to see what’s happened today. Only 3 weeks ago I was standing right in front of it. pic.twitter.com/TH2aNIIQQA
— Hawf Two™© (@gibby1701) 15 April 2019
The blaze, which broke out as the last crowds of tourists ended visits at around 6pm BST (7pm local time), was finally declared to be “completely under control” nearly nine hours later.
However, it is expected to take several days to completely extinguish all remaining pockets of fire, dampen down hotspots and secure the world-famous edifice.
Attention is beginning to turn to what may have caused the landmark, part of which was being restored, to fall victim to such a disaster.
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