By Tara Rippin • Published: 15 Apr 2020 • 12:29
Reconstruction work to begin on Notre Dame Cathedral CREDIT: Shutterstock
IT will be the second time the bell has sounded since the inferno which engulfed the roof and the spire and came dangerously close to destroying the 850-year-old cathedral completely.
Part of the structure undamaged was the southern belfry which houses the 13-tonne, 350- year-old bell, France’s second largest.
And its second sounding in 12 months will take place at the same time Parisians take to their balconies to applaud health workers battling against the outbreak which has claimed the lives of almost 16,000 people in France.
Former UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, tweeted: “My thoughts are with the people of France tonight and with the emergency services who are fighting the terrible blaze at Notre-Dame cathedral.”
Spain’s PM Pedro Sanchez also posted: “The fire of Notre Dame is a catastrophe for France. And it is for Spain and for Europe. The flames devastate 850 years of history, of architecture, of painting, of sculpture. It’ll be hard to forget. France can count on us to regain the grandeur of its heritage.”
The cause of the fire was found to be accidental, with prosecutors still trying to determine whether it was the result of faulty wiring in the renovation works or a discarded cigarette.
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Tara Rippin is a reporter for Spain’s largest English-speaking newspaper, Euro Weekly News, and is responsible for the Costa Blanca region. She has been in journalism for more than 20 years, having worked for local newspapers in the Midlands, UK, before relocating to Spain in 1990. Since arriving, the mother-of-one has made her home on the Costa Blanca, while spending 18 months at the EWN head office in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol. She loves being part of a community that has a wonderful expat and Spanish mix, and strives to bring the latest and most relevant news to EWN’s loyal and valued readers.
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