Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has experienced a devastating fire which has destroyed its roof and caused its spire to collapse. Firefighters worked through the night and were able to save the 850 year-old building’s main structure and its two main towers. The cause of the fire is unclear but the Paris prosecutors’s office has said it is being investigated as an accident with renovation works already being cited as a possibility.

A visibly emotional French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the iconic cathedral. He said “we’ll rebuild this cathedral all together and it’s undoubtedly part of the French destiny and the project we’ll have for the coming years” before adding “that’s what the French expect and because it’s what our history deserves”. Hundreds of millions have already been pledged to rebuild Notre Dame with billionaire Kering Group CEO François-Henri Pinault saying he would donate €100 million.

With the fires now extinguished and the investigation beginning, this infographic shows some of the key numbers behind the famous cathedral. Work started on the building all the way back in 1163 and it attracted 13 million visitors every year. On average, each visitor had to wait 120 minutes before being admitted to Notre Dame.

source: statista