US President Donald Trump said called the fire that tore through the Notre-Dame Cathedral “horrible to watch” in a tweet in the late hours on Monday. However, his tweet has sparked fresh controversy after he gave advice on how to douse the raging fire.
While calling for swift action and tweeting “Must act quickly”, Trump said that “flying water tankers” could be used to put out the fire that destroyed the 850-year-old structure's spire and brought it down.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 15, 2019
“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!”
In response to Trump tweet, France's civil security service, which oversees crisis management in the country, tweeted that using water-bombing aircraft to put out the fire could weaken the building's structure and result in the collapse of the UNESCO world heritage landmark.
The Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris was engulfed in flames on Monday and firefighters battled the flames till early hours of Tuesday morning to bring it under control. The spire and roof of the cathedral collapsed, but the main structure is said to have been “saved and preserved” from the fire, according to the fire brigade chief.
The cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed and authorities are treating as an accident for now. No casualties have been reported in the blaze.
French President Emmanuel Macron was at the scene of the fire and vowed to rebuild the cathedral, which has been a symbol of France's heritage and culture.
