Flames and smoke rise as the 91-metre-high spire on Notre Dame cathedral collapses. The cathedral roof was made from oak beams cut from centuries-old trees. But Eric Salmon, a former site manager at the Paris cathedral, said it is impossible to eliminate all risk. It can happen anywhere, anytime," said Salmon, who now serves as technical director at the Notre Dame cathedral in Strasbourg, France. Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural organisation, said restoring Notre Dame "will last a long time and cost a lot of money."

Source: Otago Daily Times April 17, 2019 00:33 UTC