A catastrophic fire at Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral has left a nation mourning the devastation of its cultural and historic "epicentre" and sent shockwaves around the world.
Hundreds of firefighters tackled the historic blaze through the night, battling to stop it wreaking complete destruction after flames torched the roof, sending its spire crashing to the ground before crowds of horrified Parisians.
Teams raced to recover what treasures they could from the 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece, which housed priceless artefacts and relics of huge religious and international significance.
The blaze broke out as the last crowds of tourists ended visits at around 6pm BST (7pm local time) and was declared extinguished about 14 hours later.
