'Paris needs Notre Dame': Donations to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral near $1 billion
Donations neared the $1 billion mark and recovery efforts ramped up Wednesday at the charred Notre Dame Cathedral after priceless relics and
historical treasures were reported saved from a devastating fire that left Paris – and much of the world – in a state of shock.
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Engineers and historians are expected to put up a temporary roof to protect the cathedral from the elements, assess damage and salvage materials
before beginning repairs that may take decades.
Gabriel Plus, a representative for the Paris Fire Brigade, said during a news conference with reporters Wednesday that at least 60 personnel from his organization remain at Notre Dame checking the cathedral’s structural integrity.
He said the building’s outer buttresses are secure but that some damaged stonework will be cleared. Scaffolding damaged in the fire — part of existing renovation works before the blaze — will also be removed.
Structural engineers, stained-glass experts and stone craftspeople from across the globe are expected to head to Paris to help with restorations in the next few weeks.
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"Even though the circumstances are clearly very different, we in the U.S. know what it feels like to lose a symbol of your country," she said, referring to the collapse of the Twin Towers of New York City's World Trade Center during the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
Paris’ public prosecutor Remy Heitz said Tuesday the cause of the fire that tore through the cathedral, causing its wooden roof and spire to collapse, was not yet known, although investigators are "favoring the theory of an accident" possibly linked to extensive renovation works, he said. There were no signs of arson, Heitz said.
Some 30 people have already been questioned in the investigation, which Heitz warned would be “long and complex.” Among those questioned are workers at the five construction companies involved in renovating the church spire and roof when the fire broke out.
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