PARIS: World leaders expressed solidarity with France yesterday after a fire devastated Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, by offering their support in its restoration.
Monday's fire destroyed the spire and roof of the 12th-century church, sparking an outpouring of grief from around the world over the iconic Parisian landmark.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was among the world leaders sending messages of condolence and support to the French government and people, a government spokesman said.
"The prime minister said the incident was tragic and heartbreaking. The Cathedral of Notre Dame is historical and considered a symbol of France. He is confident the French government and the people of France will be able to restore the iconic landmark quickly," deputy government spokesman Lt Gen Werachon Sukondhapatipak said.
US President Donald Trump called the cathedral "one of the great treasures of the world," while Pope Francis, Britain's Queen Elizabeth, Japan's Prime Minster Shinzo Abe, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and Norway's premier, Erna Solberg all expressed their deep sadness over the tragedy.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri also expressed condolences, calling the fire a "heritage and humanitarian disaster".
He added in a tweet late on Monday that Lebanon expresses strong solidarity with the "friendly French people"
On social media, people widely shared the news with grief and posted about their experiences and memories about the cathedral, which is part of the "Paris, Banks of the Seine" World Heritage site, which was inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List in 1991.
The Obamas were among those sharing memories of past visits to the cathedral.
Former president Barack Obama posted an old photo of himself, his wife Michelle and their two daughters lighting candles there and expressed his grief. Michelle Obama was in Paris on Monday on a book tour.
"The majesty of Notre Dame -- the history, artistry, and spirituality -- took our breath away, lifting us to a higher understanding of who we are and who we can be," she tweeted.
The French president has said he would seek help from the "greatest talents'' in the world to rebuild Notre Dame, and many governments said they were considering contributions to what would be a significant architectural undertaking.
Billionaires and local governments have pledged nearly 500 million euros (18 billion baht) -- as of yesterday afternoon -- to help restore Notre Dame cathedral, with foundations and crowd-sourcing sites also launching fund-raising drives.
Besides Germany, Russia, Poland and Spain, Japan's government said it would consider sending support.
"Its damage is a loss to the world and our hearts ache," said Yoshihide Suga, the chief cabinet secretary.
Spanish Culture Minister Jose Guirao said Spain will also review the security of its national monuments as an "obvious consequence" to the fire at Paris' cathedral.
"This is a warning," he told Spanish radio. "The danger always lies in antiquated electrical systems which have to be reviewed."
He gave no details as to what monuments would be covered.
The cause of the blaze in Paris is not yet known but the cathedral had been undergoing intense restoration work which the fire service said could be linked to the blaze.
French prosecutors said it was being treated as an accident.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, no Thai nationals were affected by the blaze.
In its statement, the ministry said the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris has been monitoring the situation closely and has so far received no report of any Thai people being affected by the blaze.
