Paris Landmark Notre-Dame Cathedral Suffers Devastating Fire

Firefighters were battling a major blaze Monday at Notre-Dame Cathedral in the heart of Paris.

The cathedral's spire and roof collapsed and Parisians gathered in the street as smoke billowed from the architectural landmark on the Ile de la Cite in the Seine River in the French capital.

There were no reports of injuries due to the fire, which began around 6:30 p.m. local time, at the time of publication. The smoke could be seen for miles.

Notre-Dame is one of Paris' top attractions, with an estimated 13 million visitors a year drawn to the 13th-century cathedral.

Twitter user Patrick Galey captured video of the moment the cathedral's famous spire collapsed.

"Emotion for all the nation," tweeted French president Emmanuel Macron. "Like all our countrymen, I'm sad this evening to see this part of us burn."

Other Twitter users were reporting that Paris police are evacuating the Ile de la Cite, the island in the Seine River on which the famous church is located. 

The New York Times reported that thousands gathered on the banks of the Seine and watched as the fire tore through the cathedral’s wooden roof. 

"Notre Dame is our common heritage," former French president Francois Hollande wrote on Twitter.. "It’s an injury to see it devastated by flames. Respects to the firemen trying to extinguish the fire."

Related Links:

What's The Most Popular Foursquare Location In Europe? Here's The Top 40

Grip-And-Grimace Rematch? Trump Heads To Paris To Meet With Macron 

Screenshot of video from Twitter user @patrickgaley.