The Heartbreaking Moment The Notre Dame Cathedral Spire Collapsed

Heartbreaking footage has captured the moment the spire of the Notre Dame cathedral collapsed.

A large blaze broke out at the historic building in Paris, France, earlier on Monday evening, and despite the efforts of fire crews, the fire has spread across large swathes of the famous building.

Andre Finot, a spokeperson for Notre Dame, told French media (via AP): "Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame."

It is not yet known how the fire began, although officials have been suggested it could be linked to renovation work. It is also unclear whether there have been any casualties.

The cathedral is 850 years old, and last year the Catholic Church launched an urgent appeal for funds to repair the building, which was showing serious signs of decay. The construction of Notre Dame - which means 'Our Lady' - began in 1160 and was mostly completed a hundred years later in 1260. It has been modified on numerous occasions throughout the centuries since.

French President, Emmanuel Macron, has cancelled a planned public address. In a tweet, he reflected the current mood of the nation.

He said: "Our Lady of Paris in flames. Emotion of a whole nation. Thought for all Catholics and for all French. Like all our countrymen, I'm sad tonight to see this part of us burn."

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, described the fire as 'terrible' and has urged people to stay away from the blaze.

She said: "A terrible fire is underway at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The @PompiersParis are trying to control the flames. We are mobilised on the spot in close connection with the @dioceseParis. I ask everyone to respect the security perimeter."

Topics: Paris, News, France

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey