‘Notre Dame Cathedral to be rebuilt on schedule by 2024’

Paris, April 15 (IANS): The iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was badly damaged in a fire in April 2019, will be rebuilt on schedule, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.

“The commitment for 2024 will be kept,” dpa news agency quoted the President as saying to the Le Parisien – Aujourd’hui en France newspaper.

In 2024, the French capital is also due to host the Summer Olympics.

Exactly two years ago, on April 15, 2019, the world-famous landmark in the heart of Paris went up in flames.

The fire spread to the roof truss and then engulfed large parts of the medieval building.

The cause of the fire has not yet been fully determined, but fault in the electrical system or a lit cigarette may have triggered the disaster.

The head of state went on to tell the paper that the whole of France was committed to the reconstruction of Notre Dame.

Macron plans to visit the construction site, where numerous craftsmen are working, later in the day with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

When the 13th century roof of the Paris Cathedral caught fire, it sparked a vast outpouring of emotion, as well as donations from across the world.

Within two days, about 900 million euros ($1 billion) had been raised for the cathedral’s restoration, reports the BBC.

The Cathedral’s first spire was built in the 13th Century, but due to extensive damage it was removed in the late 18th Century.

Its replacement, designed by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, was built in the mid-19th Century.