Notre Dame to Reopen in Less Than 5 Years - French Culture Minister

08:28 GMT, 18 April 2019

PARIS (Sputnik) - The Notre Dame cathedral in Paris will reopen in less than five years after a blaze ripped through the medieval building and destroyed its spire, French Culture Minister Franck Riester said on Thursday.

Sputnik

"No, I don't think so," Riester told the BFMTV broadcaster, when asked whether the cathedral would remain closed within five years.

Riester did not say exactly when Notre Dame could reopen for visitors.

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

18 April 2019, 06:11 GMT

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday pledged to rebuild the iconic 850-year-old cathedral within five years.

A massive fire broke out at Notre Dame late on Monday evening, causing the collapse of the cathedral's spire and two-thirds of its roof. The blaze was fully extinguished only on Tuesday morning.

Macron has described the incident as a "terrible tragedy."