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The First Photos From Inside Notre Dame Show Destruction and Hope

• The day after a fire ripped through Notre Dame, officials declared the Cathedral structurally sound.

• The first photos after the blaze reveal the extent of destruction it caused.

• French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the historic Notre Dame.

Headshot of Esquire EditorsBy Esquire Editors
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CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON//Getty Images

On Tuesday, the day after a devastating fire ripped through Notre Dame Cathedral, the first photos emerged of the damaged landmark structure in the heart of Paris. The photos reveal the extent of the damages from the blaze, but also offer hope for its inevitable rebuilding. By Tuesday morning, a number of French billionaires had already pledged $300 million to restore the gothic cathedral, which was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Fire damaged the roof, but officials said the Cathedral remains structurally sound. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire and are treating it as an accident at the moment, according to the New York Times.

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The inside of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris the day after a fire devastated the cathedral.

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French firemen enter the Notre-Dame Cathedral as flames on April 16, 2019.

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Inside Notre-Dame Cathedral on April 16.

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The view from the entrance of Notre Dame on April 15 shows smoke rising in front of the altar cross.

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Another interior view of Notre Dame on April 16.

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French President Emmanuel Macron looks inside the Notre Dame. Macron vowed to rebuild the cathedral immediately and a number of wealthy French businesspeople have already pledged millions to that goal.

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Rays of light beam down into the heart of the Notre Dame Cathedral in the aftermath of the fire.

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Debris from the fire rests in front of a sculpture inside Notre Dame.

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Smoke rises in front of the altar cross at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15.

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Firefighters are seen inside the cathedral assessing the damage caused by fire on April 15.

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Firefighters and specialists inspect the roof of Notre-Dame Cathedral on April 16.

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A picture taken on April 16 at the Paris Hotel de Ville shows some of the artworks of Notre Dame that were saved from the blaze.

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Employees load religious artifacts saved from the Cathedral into a truck before being transported to the Louvre Museum on April 16.

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Debris piled inside Notre Dame on April 16.

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Scafolding which was erected for the renovation of Notre Dame, remains in place a day after the devastating fire.

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Firefighters assess the damage to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

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Firefighters take a closer look at the damage to the outside of Notre Dame.

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Firemen walk past Notre Dame Cathedral, while through the entrance door you can see the ruins of the fire.

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Workers remove a statue with a crane from Notre Dame on April 16.

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Members of the Police Identite Judiciaire walk inside Notre Dame on April 16.

From: Esquire US
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