The most devastating photos from the Notre-Dame fire in Paris

April 15, 2019, was a tragic day in history, as Paris and the rest of the world watched one of our most iconic monuments, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, go up in flames.

The architectural masterpiece caught fire at approximately 6:50 pm in Paris, and quickly spread throughout the building to destroy the roof and cause the central spire to collapse, captured on video by devastated onlookers.

The fire raged on until approximately 11 pm, when it was reported that the main structure and towers would remain and the fire was cooling.

During the tragic fire, onlookers looked on in shock, crowds prayed and sang hymns, and many captured the devastation on camera and shared on social media.

These images show history collapsing right before our very eyes, and are a powerful reminder to see and appreciate the world before it is too late — starting with our beautiful Paris, which as you’ve heard, is always a good idea.

Here were some of the most devastating images captured of the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire.

 

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A post shared by R A N D Y H A R O N (@2ndfloorguy) on Apr 15, 2019 at 1:43pm PDT

 

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A post shared by gigarama (@gigaramaofficial) on Apr 16, 2019 at 6:34am PDT

 

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A post shared by Pat McGrath (@patmcgrathreal) on Apr 16, 2019 at 6:08am PDT

 

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A post shared by Noticias Telemundo (@noticiastelemundo) on Apr 15, 2019 at 10:24am PDT

 

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A post shared by Estelle 陈瑜 (@chen_estelle) on Apr 16, 2019 at 8:30am PDT

Good morning from a damp, blustery Paris. It was a shock to see her without her spire this morning. But like any great beauty, she was blessed with good bones. We should celebrate how much was saved last night. pic.twitter.com/iMthrBVcOW

— Katy Lee (@kjalee) April 16, 2019

 

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A post shared by P!nk Oυr Fυcĸιn’ Hero (@liloupink_) on Apr 15, 2019 at 10:24am PDT

 

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A post shared by ℱᎾℛᎯᎽ (@4ray.gallery) on Apr 16, 2019 at 8:33am PDT

 

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A post shared by Loic Hamon (@argevilfleuriste) on Apr 15, 2019 at 10:23am PDT

 

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A post shared by Gabrielle Déborah Lucie (@babagaba_) on Apr 15, 2019 at 10:24am PDT

 

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A post shared by Joris Visser (@joris.visser.utrecht) on Apr 15, 2019 at 10:24am PDT

 

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A post shared by Vivian / LVDCB3 (@vivian_officiel) on Apr 16, 2019 at 9:01am PDT

 

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A post shared by MSNBC (@msnbc) on Apr 15, 2019 at 10:21am PDT

 

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A post shared by 🇫🇷 Conexão Paris 🇫🇷 (@conexaoparis) on Apr 15, 2019 at 10:27am PDT