Officials say, however, that the two bell towers and the main structure have been saved although the roof and the 850-year-old Gothic building’s spire was completely destroyed.

Teams are still trying to savage the artwork inside, with firefighters working to control the outbreak.

Although the cause of the outbreak is still unclear, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has called it a “terrible tragedy.”

Officials say, however, that it could also be tied to the renovation that began after noticed cracks appeared in the stone, that triggered fears that the structure could become unstable.

A firefighter was severly injured as a result of tackling the outbreak. Paris prosecutor’s office said it had opened an inquiry into “accidental destruction by fire”.

It was very clear that Mr Macron was emotional as he said the “worst had been avoided” and with the hopes of rebuilding the cathedral, has also promised to launch an international fundraising scheme.

The fire outbreak started at around 6:30 p.m. (16:30 GMT) and rapidly reached the roof of the cathedral, severely damaging its windows and the wooden made interior before toppling the spire.

Around 500 firefighters tried their very best to put out the flames, and four hours later, the fire chief Jean-Claude Gallet reported that the cathedral had been saved and preserved from total destruction.

Emmanuel Gregoire, Deputy Paris Mayor said that the building suffered “colossal damages”, and capable teams were doing their best to save the cathedral’s remaining artwork.

Camille Pascal, a historian told French broadcaster BFMTV that “invaluable heritage” had been severely damaged. He also added that “Happy and unfortunate events for centuries have been marked by the bells of Notre-Dame. We can be only horrified by what we see”.