PHOTOS: Notre Dame burned, and the faithful prayed for its survival

By Jesse Ferreras Global News

Posted April 15, 2019 5:19 pm

Updated April 15, 2019 5:44 pm

1 min read

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1:06 Notre Dame Cathedral Fire: Multiple angles show iconic Paris landmark engulfed in flames

Firefighters battled flames at the world-famous 12th century monument in Paris, France on Monday afternoon – Apr 15, 2019

Notre Dame de Paris went up in flames Monday as the iconic cathedral underwent renovations, creating fears that the building would collapse.

Parisians gathered to pray for the Gothic structure’s survival as firefighters worked to save the 12th-century building from flames.

WATCH: The glorious and tragic history of the Notre Dame Cathedral

Click to play video: 'The glorious and tragic history of the Notre Dame Cathedral'

1:54 The glorious and tragic history of the Notre Dame Cathedral

Fortune had turned in the firefighters’ favour as of Monday night — the commander of the Paris Fire Brigade said both of the cathedral’s towers were safe and that personnel managed to keep flames from reaching the belfry, preventing the collapse of a bell, which could have triggered more widespread damage.

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Artwork and holy objects from inside the cathedral were also saved, Mayor Anne Hidalgo said.

Pictures taken in Paris on Monday showed onlookers gathered all along the Seine River, taking photos and looking upon a structure that was threatened by fire after having borne witness to nearly 800 years of history.