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Notre Dame Cathedral Evacuated Amidst Catastrophic Fire

The exact cause of the fire is not yet known

GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP/Getty Images

Smoke and flames rise during a fire at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris on April 15, 2019, potentially involving renovation works being carried out at the site, the fire service said. - A major fire broke out at the landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris sending flames and huge clouds of grey smoke billowing into the sky, the fire service said. The flames and smoke plumed from the spire and roof of the gothic cathedral, visited by millions of people a year, where renovations are currently underway. (Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP) (Photo credit should read GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP/Getty Images)
By MTV News Staff
April 15, 2019 / 2:17 PM

By Lauren Rearick

Notre Dame Cathedral, a more than 800-year-old historical monument located in Paris, caught fire on Monday, April 15.

Following police confirmation of the fire, officials told The Telegraph that the fire could have reportedly stemmed from ongoing construction work at Notre Dame. However, the exact cause is not yet known, CBS News reports.

According to the BBC, officials confirmed that a “major operation” to stop the fire was ongoing. Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, confirmed that fire officials were attempting to “control the flames.” In response to the fire, the cathedral had been evacuated.

Pictures and video of the fire were shared to social media, with journalist David Almacy and Solveig Godeluck sharing images of flames and smoke that appeared to have broken out at the top of the cathedral.

The cathedral had been undergoing renovations since 2017, Time reported. Philippe Villeneuve, architect in chief of historic monuments in France, had told the publication that pollution had caused “ruined stones” and required “extensive” construction to fix. Renovations on the cathedral were expected to cost $185 million.

This is a developing story. MTV News will update it as we know more.

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