Hundreds of millions of euros have been pledged to help rebuild Notre-Dame after a devastating fire partially destroyed the French cathedral.
The fire, declared fully extinguished some 15 hours after it began, ravaged the 850-year-old building’s roof and caused its spire to collapse.
But firefighters who worked through the night managed to save the Paris landmark’s main stone structure, including its two towers.
The cause of the fire is not yet clear.
Paris public prosecutor Rémy Heitz said his office was “favouring the theory of an accident”, but had assigned 50 people to work on what he believed would be a “long” and “complex” investigation.
Other officials have suggested it could be linked to extensive renovation works taking place at the cathedral.
Thoughts are now turning to how Notre-Dame will be rebuilt.
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to reconstruct the historic building even as the fire still burned, while a number of companies and business tycoons have so far pledged about €600 million between them.
“We’ll rebuild this cathedral all together and it’s undoubtedly part of the French destiny and the project we’ll have for the coming years,” said Macron in an emotional address on Monday night.
Offers of help with the reconstruction have also poured in from around the globe, with European Council President Donald Tusk calling on EU member states to rally round.
Air France said in a statement that the company would offer free flights to anyone involved in the reconstruction.
Billionaire François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of the Kering group that owns the Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent fashion brands, pledged €100m towards rebuilding Notre-Dame, AFP news agency reports.
Another €200 million was pledged by Bernard Arnault’s family and their company LVMH – a business empire which includes Louis Vuitton and Sephora – on Tuesday morning, according to Reuters news agency.
French cosmetics giant L’Oreal and its founding Bettencourt family have promised to give a further €200m to the reconstruction effort. Total, the French oil giant, has also pledged €100m.
The French charity Fondation du Patrimoine is launching an international appeal for funds for the cathedral, a Unesco World Heritage site.
