And finally… ‘We are not on fire’, clarifies University of Notre Dame
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As news broke out about a devastating fire which last night engulfed the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, a university was forced to clarify that it was not burning, despite being more than 4,000 miles away.
About two hours after the blaze started at the UNESCO World Heritage site, the University of Notre Dame clarified over social media that the fire was not at its campus amid confusion.
The University of Notre Dame - Image credit Adawson8 [CC BY-SA 4.0]
A spokesperson for the university in South Bend, Indiana told DailyMail.com that the school had received several calls from media outlets inquiring as to whether there was a fire on campus.
“A clarification: A fire is currently burning at @notredameparis, not the University of Notre Dame. Our prayers are with all those involved,” the post read.
The fire, which broke out shortly after 6.30pm in the roof space surrounding the spire, resulted in the destruction of the 850-year old external timber roof and the collapse of the iconic spire.
The building was enveloped in scaffolding used to carry out major renovation works, and quickly spread out throughout the evening. Firefighters managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to the two towers.
French billionaires the Pinault family have reportedly pledged more than 100 million euros (£86 million) to restore the cathedral.
A fundraising page has also been launched.
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