UPDATE – Macron pledges to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral

LEADS WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHED</p> <p>By Yusuf Ozcan</p> <p>PARIS (AA) – A massive fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has been extinguished after 8.5 hours, a spokesman for the local fire brigade said late Monday.</p> <p>Firefighters will continue to ensure that the fire, which seriously damaged the iconic landmark, does not resume, Lieut. Col. Gabriel Plus told reporters.</p> <p>Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to rebuild the cathedral.</p> <p>“The worst was avoided, even if the battle has not been completely won yet, and the next few hours will be difficult,&quot; Macron told reporters after inspecting the scene.</p> <p> He said a national fundraising campaign would be launched to restore the 850-year-old monument.</p> <p> The cause of the fire is still unknown. ‏</p> <p>One of the city’s most important tourist spots, Notre Dame — which means 'Our Lady' — dates back to the 13th century.</p> <p>Turkey joined the rest of the world in expressing dismay over the massive fire which engulfed the historic masterpiece.</p> <p>&quot;We are following the fire destroying the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris with great sorrow,&quot; Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter.</p> <p>&quot;The destruction of this masterpiece of architecture is a catastrophe for the entire humanity,&quot; he added.</p> <p>&quot;It is with very heavy hearts that we received the devastating news about the fire in Paris, France. The Notre Dame Cathedral is not just a symbol of France but part of humanity’s shared heritage,&quot; Turkey’s presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted.</p> *Writing by Sibel Morrow<p> </p> <p>