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.