Lockdown stalls the Notre-Dame rebirth

PARIS: Perched over the gaping roof of Notre-Dame, a crane stands idle above the silent Paris cathedral, where repair work has ground to a halt one year after the monstrous blaze that nearly destroyed one of the world’s most revered monuments. Millions around the world watched in horror last April 15 as firefighters battled through the night to save the 13th-century masterpiece from the fire, which ravaged its roof and toppled the steeple.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised a herculean effort to have the UNESCO heritage site restored within five years, in time for the Paris Olympics of 2024. But France’s lockdown to combat the coronavirus-which has forced a full suspension of work at the site-is making that goal even more unlikely than before. Work had already been delayed for months by decontamination efforts after more than 300 tons of lead from the roof melted in the blaze, covering the site in toxic particles that have proven hard to remove.

And the fragile structure remains at risk despite the massive wooden beams propping up the arches and gables. Authorities had to halt work several times over the winter when winds surpassed 40 kilometers per hour. The 60 to 70 workers normally on site have not even removed the tangled web of metal scaffolding tubes that fused together in the inferno, which erupted during renovation work on the roof.

Until they do, they cannot install a more durable temporary roof to protect the church’s priceless artworks from rain. Although investigators have still not determined the cause of the fire, prosecutors suspect faulty electrical wiring or a poorly extinguished cigarette. — AFP

PARIS: A jogger runs on an empty boulevard past the Paris’ Cathedral Notre Dame at the sunrise on the eve of the first anniversary of the violent fire that destroyed a large part of the monument. — AFP