Notre Dame This morning as fire is brought under Control (Picture)

The famous Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris was on fire and it spread rapidly across the building.

Efforts are being made to tackle the fire which broke out on Monday afternoon, but, so far, the cathedral's spire and roof have collapsed.

A spokesman for the cathedral said the whole structure was "burning".

"There will be nothing left," he said. "It remains to be seen whether the vault, which protects the cathedral, will be affected or not."

read also:Obama, Clinton others mourn the death of President George Bush who died at 94

read also:OPC founder, Frederick Fasehun, dies at 83

The fire has now been "brought under control" though it is expected to take several days to completely extinguish all remaining pockets of fire. Fire fighters are expected to be on the site for several days.

Sadly, the building has lost it’s towering spire and most of its roof, wiping out centuries of priceless heritage central to French culture and history.

The building still has its bell towers intact. Also, a large number of relics including Christ’s crown of thorns and St Louis’ tunic were saved from the raging fire.

Photos of what the building looks like this morning has emerged to show that the main structure of the cathedral is still standing.

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the cathedral described as the soul of the nation and expressed relief that "the worst had been avoided".

Billionaire pledged 100 million euros to rebuilt Notre Dame

A French billionaire has pledged 100 million euros to help rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral which was raised by fire on Monday.

This is following a defiant President Macron who launched a national fundraising campaign to restore the building to it’s former state.

The billionaire, Francois-Henri Pinault, married to Hollywood actress Salma Hayek, pledged the sum of a 100 million euros towards the rebuilding of the burnt Notre Dame cathedral.

The destruction of the 850-year-old UNESCO world heritage landmark on Monday evening, left many in tears and prayer.

President Macron made the call for a national fundraising campaign to restore Notre Dame while speaking outside the gothic cathedral. He also beckoned on the world’s ‘greatest talents’ to help.