Cause of devastating Notre Dame fire revealed

An electrical short circuit is thought to be the cause of the fire that severely damaged the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, according to officials.

The world was rocked earlier this week when the news broke that Notre Dame Cathedral had caught fire, and although the flames have since been extinguished, the historic landmark has been left extensively damaged by the blaze.

The Sun reports that the official, who did not wish to be named, said investigators still do not have the green light to work in the cathedral or search in the rubble due to safety concerns, as its fragile walls were still being reinforced with wooden planks.

Meanwhile, earlier this week officials claimed that the catastrophic fire was potentially linked to renovation works that were ongoing on the cathedral.

The historic building, visited by millions of travellers each year, housed some of the world’s most prized relics, including Jesus Christ’s Crown of Thorns. According to a spokesperson for the cathedral the fire broke out at around 4.50pm on Monday afternoon (French local time), The Guardian reports.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his sadness in losing the structure, taking to social media to share in the sorrow. He wrote: “Our Lady of Paris in flames. Emotion of a whole nation. Thought for all Catholics and for all French. Like all our countrymen, I’m sad tonight to see this part of us burn.”

While in a later post he claimed they will work together to rebuild the iconic building, adding: “This Notre-Dame cathedral, we will rebuild it,” he said.  “All together. It’s part of our French destiny. I commit myself: tomorrow a national subscription will be launched, and well beyond our borders.”

Many people, including some of the world’s wealthiest businessmen, have pledged cash to help with the restoration effort to rebuild the iconic Paris attraction, and now classical musician Andre Rieu has joined the charge with a generous donation of his own.

The 69-year-old violinist has offered up an incredible 700 tonnes of steel to be used as scaffolding whilst the world-renowned church is rebuilt. However, fans of Rieu who have seen him perform live may recognise the metal structure as the elaborate palace replica which he uses as a backdrop on stage.

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