노트르담 대성당 유물 루브르로…마크롱 "5년 내 재건"
The President of France has vowed to re-build the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris that was engulfed by a massive fire earlier this week.
Fortunately, many of the cathedral's priceless treasures were saved... despite the damage.
Kim Mok-yeon reports.
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to reconstruct the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral and said France can transform the disaster into an opportunity to come together and repair one of the country's most symbolic sites.
"I'm telling you this tonight with force, we are a people of builders. We have so much to rebuild, so yes, we will rebuild the Notre Dame cathedral, even more beautifully, and I want this to be done within five years. We can do it and here again we will mobilize."
During his brief televised address on Tuesday local time, Macron said he hopes the restoration work will be completed by the time the city hosts the Summer Olympics,... set for 2024.
However, some experts say that the reconstruction could take from ten up to 40 years to complete.
After the fire destroyed parts of the 12th century cathedral on Monday,… people across the world donatated nearly one billion U.S. dollars,... to help restore the UNESCO World Heritage site.
On the bright side, the cathedral's main structure has remained intact, as well as several artifacts including the Crown of Thorns, the 8,000-pipe great organ and at least one of three stained-glass rose windows .
Recovered artwork has been taken to storage facilities owned by the Louvre, where they are being restored and conserved.
On the cause of the incident, French prosecutors said the fire was probably an accident as they have found no evidence of arson so far.
About 50 police are working on the probe and have been questioning 15 workers involved in the renovation of the cathedral's roof, where the fire broke out.
Much like the restoration, the investigation is expected to be a long and complex process.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.
