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Egypt Expresses Solidarity with France over Notre Dame Cathedral Fire


Tue 16 Apr 2019 | 01:54 PM
Nawal Sayed

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi showed Egypt's solidarity with France after a ferocious blaze devastated the landmark Notre Dame Cathedral, destroying its spire and spreading to the historic bell towers.

On his official Facebook page and Twitter account, Sisi said he had received reports on the fire with great sadness.

“The loss of such a great humanitarian monument represents a great loss for all humanity,” he added.

He expressed Egypt's solidarity with France, expressing the hope impacts of such sad human moment would be remedied soon.

[caption id="attachment_45792" align="aligncenter" width="605"]President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's tweet on France's Notre Dame Cathedral Blaze President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's tweet on France's Notre Dame Cathedral Blaze[/caption]

In this regard, Tourism Minister Rania Al Mashat expressed her sadness too and tweeted late Monday “Our heart goes out to all the French and the citizens of the world.”

She described the Notre Dame Cathedral blaze as a “heart-breaking” scene.

“It’s heart-breaking to see this historic and iconic structure collapse. Praying that all stay safe,” Al Mashat added.

[caption id="attachment_45793" align="aligncenter" width="610"]Tourism Minister Rania Al Mashaat's tweet on France's Notre Dame Cathedral Blaze Tourism Minister Rania Al Mashaat's tweet on France's Notre Dame Cathedral Blaze[/caption]

On his part, French Ambassador to Egypt Stephane Romatet thanked all Egyptians for their solidarity with France after the 850-year old Cathedral sat on fire.

[caption id="attachment_45795" align="aligncenter" width="593"]French Ambassador to Egypt Stephane Romatet's tweet on France's Notre Dame Cathedral Blaze French Ambassador to Egypt Stephane Romatet's tweet on France's Notre Dame Cathedral Blaze[/caption]

A raging fire that tore through Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris was under control early on Tuesday after the blaze brought its towering spire and roof crashing to the ground, wiping out centuries of priceless heritage central to French culture and history.

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the cathedral described as the soul of the nation and expressed relief that “the worst had been avoided” in a blaze that had at one point threatened the entire edifice.

Thousands of Parisians and tourists watched in horror from nearby streets cordoned off by the police as flames engulfed the building and officials tried to save as much as they could of the cathedral's countless treasures, built up over centuries.

[caption id="attachment_45796" align="aligncenter" width="5143"]Paris Fire brigade members spray water onto the facade of the Notre Dame Cathedral during the visit by French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) in Paris, France, April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/Pool Paris Fire brigade members spray water onto the facade of the Notre Dame Cathedral during the visit by French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) in Paris, France, April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/Pool[/caption]

The inferno destroyed the roof of the UNESCO world heritage landmark, whose spectacular Gothic spire collapsed as orange flames and clouds of grey smoke billowed into the early evening sky.

Around 400 firefighters battled into the night to control the flames, declaring in the early hours of Tuesday that it was partially extinguished but completely under control, around nine hours after it broke out.

http://see.news/notre-dame-fire-europe-wounded-pledges-help/