美国有线新闻 CNN 巴黎圣母院遭遇火灾 顶部塔尖已倒塌（在线收听）

CARL AZUZ: Hi, I'm Carl Azuz. A devastating fire at the world's most famous Gothic cathedral is our first story today on CNN 10.

During the afternoon rush hour on Monday, fire trucks were fighting traffic in Paris, France to get to Notre Dame. It's a Catholic church whose construction began in the 12th century. And as we produced this show, some of its features, like a spire that sat on top of the cathedral, had been lost.

The commander general of the Paris fire brigade said the first call to emergency services indicated that the fire had broken out in Notre Dame's attic.

When we produced this show, officials didn't know what caused the blaze or if anyone was injured. There was scaffolding around the building, as renovations were being done.

Notre Dame is one of the most popular tourist attractions in a city that has a lot of them. An estimated 13 million people visit the cathedral each year. In addition to a landmark, it's also a functioning church. And the blaze occurred during the Christian Holy Week between the holidays of Palm Sunday and Easter.

A French government official said, exceptional efforts were being made to save what was left of the cathedral. Workers were reportedly able to get some of Notre Dame's famous artwork out of the burning building. But as far as the structure itself went, firefighters weren't sure last night what they could salvage. Tributes, memories, and prayers were being offered from all over Europe and America.