Paris' iconic Notre Dame cathedral on fire, spire collapses

Paris (IANS) A fire at Paris's iconic Notre-Dame cathedral on Monday has spread over the more than eight-century-old building, destroying its spire and a large part of its roof, media reports said.

The cause of the fire was yet not known, but officials say it could be linked to renovation work at the 850-year-old heritage structure, the BBC reported.

A major operation is underway to tackle the blaze, which broke out in the afternoon, and an area surrounding the building in central Paris has been cleared, it quoted officials as saying.

CNN reported that its spire had collapsed even as firefighters raced to tackle the blaze. 

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo termed it a "terrible blaze" and urged people to cooperate with the fire-fighters while President Emmanuel Macron has cancelled his planned speech to the nation in light of the fire, which has engulfed the giant spire of the cathedral, an Elysee Palace official said.

Macron, in a tweet in French, said that he was "sad tonight to see this part of us burn."

US President Donald Trump, in a tweet, said: "So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!"

Last year, the Catholic Church in France launched an urgent appeal for funds to save it after cracks began appearing in the structure of the popular tourist attraction.