Notre Dame fire: First dawn images show scale of damage at Paris landmark

French billionaire has already pledged €100m to repair 850-year-old national monument

The first images taken in the morning light after a devastating fire tore through Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris reveal the extent of the damage to the historic and cultural landmark.

The spire of the 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece was brought crashing to the ground and most of the roof was lost after a blaze broke out in front of horrified tourists at about 7pm on Monday.

But pictures captured at dawn show the main structure of the national monument, including its two bell towers, is still standing and there is hope it can be saved.

Some of the cathedral’s most precious objects, including a relic purported to be the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ on the cross and the tunic of Saint Louis were rescued by a “human chain” and taken to a safe place.

And there are hopes that the three famous rose windows, which date back to the 13th century, avoided catastrophic damage.

French president Emmanuel Macron declared a fundraising campaign would be launched to rebuild the national monument.

He said: “I am solemnly telling you tonight: this cathedral will be rebuilt by all of us together. It is probably part of France’s destiny and it will be our project for the years to come.”

“Notre Dame is our history, our imagination, where we’ve lived all our great moments, and is the epicentre of our lives,” he added.

“It’s the story of our books, our paintings. It’s the cathedral for all French people, even if they have never been. But it is burning and I know this sadness will be felt by all of our citizens.”

Billionaire French fashion mogul Francois-Henri Pinault has already pledged €100m (£86m) towards the reconstruction, while French tycoon Bernard Arnault and his luxury goods group LVMH donated €200m (£173m).

Scores of Parisians flocked to the banks of the Seine on Tuesday morning to view the damage.

Daniel Etieve, 70, said: “It’s a very sad picture. For over 800 years this cathedral has been passed from generation to generation. Now I question what state we will pass it on to the generations after us.

“I hope that what we see from the outside is the worst and that the main parts have been protected.”

The first images from inside the fire-ravaged cathedral began to emerge as firefighters brought the blaze under control almost nine hours after it broke out.

Onlookers stand on the banks of the Seine river in Paris on 16 April 2019 and view the aftermath of a fire at Notre Dame cathedral that caused its spire to crash to the ground. (AFP/Getty Images) (AFP/Getty)

A smouldering pile of what appeared to be the charred remains of the roof and spire lay smoking in front of the altar, while a cross that had escaped destruction glowed from within the gloom.

Firefighters confirmed the blaze was fully extinguished shortly before 8am on Tuesday.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known, but the Paris prosecutor’s office said police would carry out an investigation into “involuntary destruction caused by fire”, suggesting it is currently being treated as an accident.

Outpourings of grief were sent to Paris from around the world.

Prime minister Theresa May sent her wishes to the French capital from her walking holiday with her husband in Wales, where she is spending the beginning of parliamentary recess.

“My thoughts are with the people of France tonight and with the emergency services who are fighting the terrible blaze at Notre Dame Cathedral,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted: “Tonight we pray for the firefighters tackling the tragic Notre Dame fire – and for everyone in France and beyond who watches and weeps for this beautiful, sacred place where millions have met with Jesus Christ. Nous sommes avec vous.”

There were also messages of support from US president Donald Trump, former leaders Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and a stream of world leaders.

Notre Dame is one of the oldest and most recognisable buildings in Paris, and work began on it in 1163.

The original structure was completed nearly 200 years later, in 1345, and its name literally translates to “Our Lady of Paris”.

Some 13 million people now visit the Catholic landmark every year - more than 30,000 every day on average - according to its official website, and it is believed to be one of the most visited structures in the French capital.