THE Paris fire service is not sure it will be able to halt the spread of the fire consuming the roof of Notre-Dame cathedral, a senior fire official at the scene told journalists on Monday night.

“It’s not certain we’ll be able to halt the spread toward the northern bell tower. If that collapses, you can imagine the extent of the damage,” General Jean-Claude Gallet said, adding that 400 firefighters were battling the blaze.

Deputy Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, also speaking at the scene, added that saving the gothic monument “is not certain”.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2019