Woman Claims She Saw Figure of Jesus in Flames Engulfing Notre Dame

While some scaremongers claimed the fire was a sign of the end of times, one woman said she saw a divine message in one of the photographs of the burning church.

Lesley Rowan, from Alexandria, Scotland, told the Daily Record:  "When I looked at this photo last night, I was really astounded by what I saw."

"When I look at it I see a silhouette of Jesus. I really see a vivid image."

She shared the photo in a Facebook post, now unavailable, in which she circled what she believed to be the silhouette of the son of God in the burning scaffolding around the remains of the Notre Dame spire. "I may be letting my mind play tricks on me here, folks take a close look at this picture and what do you see," she wrote.

A number of users were said to have flocked to the comments to agree with her findings.

One user was quoted as saying: "Looks like a figure of Jesus, or I am tripping?"

"I can see it pretty clear, gown and all," wrote another, according to the tabloid.

"Imagine this was how God showed us he wasn't happy with us, by using acts of God to take away ancient, beautiful monuments/ and cathedrals."

Rowan expressed hope that it would "bring comfort to people in Paris and all over the world at this sad time".

The 12^th century Gothic-style cathedral in the centre of Paris, glorified by Victor Hugo in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, became consumed by flames on Monday evening.

Firefighters fought a nine-hour battle with the massive blaze, resulted in the church losing its spire and most of the roof; however, many priceless relics, including the Crown of Thorns believed to have been worn by Jesus as well as a supposed piece of the True Cross, have been saved.

French officials said arson probably wasn't the reason for the fire and the incident was likely linked to restoration works. An investigation into the fire is underway.