World leaders express shock over Notre Dame fire in Paris

Trump urged French government to act 'quickly' to bring the flames under control.

"So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!," Trump tweeted.

British PM Theresa May posted: "My thoughts are with the people of France tonight and with the emergency services who are fighting the terrible blaze at Notre-Dame cathedral."

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison shared his own experience of visiting the structure in the past and shared: "I fondly remember standing outside Notre Dame with Jen almost 30 years ago. So sad to see this beautiful cathedral in flames this morning. Our thoughts are with the people of France and emergency services who are fighting this fire. They will rebuild as Parisians always do."

Ex-US President Barack Obama shared an old image of himself visiting the landmark icon and tweeted: "Notre Dame is one of the world’s great treasures, and we’re thinking of the people of France in your time of grief. It’s in our nature to mourn when we see history lost – but it’s also in our nature to rebuild for tomorrow, as strong as we can."

Notre Dame Fire: France left shocked

Firefighters have worked for several hours to bring the fire, which broke out at the medieval cathedral of Notre-Dame in French capital Paris, under control on Tuesday as the country's President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the iconic structure which is visited by thousands of people every year.

The Paris prosecutor opened an investigation into the fire, the cause of which is still unknown, reported CNN.

Paris Fire Brigade Commander General Jean-Claude Gallet was quoted as saying by CNN that one firefighter was seriously injured in the incident.

Damage caused:

The 850-year-old Gothic building's spire and roof have collapsed but the main structure, including the two bell towers, has been saved, officials were quoted as saying by BBC.

French President vows to rebuild the iconic structure:

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said the cathedral will be rebuild.

"This Notre-Dame Cathedral, we will rebuild it. All together. This is part of our French destiny. I am committed to this: from tomorrow a national subscription will be launched, and far beyond our borders," the French leader tweeted.