PARIS — Notre-Dame cathedral, the iconic symbol of the beauty and history of Paris, was scarred by an extensive fire on Monday evening that collapsed part of its delicate spire, bruised the Parisian skies with smoke and further disheartened a city already back on its heels after weeks of violent protests. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, André Finot, a spokesman for the cathedral, said in a telephone interview. An Interior Ministry official said that no one had been killed or wounded in the blaze. “The next hour and a half will be decisive,” a spokesman for the city’s firefighters said at 9:30 p.m. Paris time, standing not far from the burning cathedral, where he said around 400 firefighters had been deployed.

Source: New York Times April 15, 2019 17:29 UTC