this is deja vu news live from berlin tonight france is a nation in shock fire has engulfed the cathedral of notre dame in paris authorities saying there may be no stopping the blaze the flames have already consumed the spying have now spread to the churches iconic rectangular towers president is at the scene a part of all of this is burning he said we'll go live to paris news starts right now.

to our viewers on p.b.s. in the united states and all around the world welcome. notre dame cathedral in paris is burning a devastating fire that started early this evening is still raging out of control and officials say they're not sure the blaze can be contained the delicate spire at the center of the roof and the roof itself have collapsed into the nave of the huge twelfth century gothic church the fire has also spread to at least one of the cathedrals two great towers french president emanuel says the blaze was taking a part of all of france's people with it and there are reports suggest the blaze may be related to rid of ation work that was under way at notre dame.

i don't want to go live now to the sick. who is an eyewitness he was watching the fire from his balcony you have a few blocks from the cathedral yes this is bright in berlin can you hear me yes. well we appreciate you taking the time to talk with us tonight tell me. what are you seeing right now. but i see still the place is still is still burning so there's no answer that fire for now. and this is us he said in your introduction doesn't seem to be it will burn like a live it seems like reverting long time that's the. impression i. got what it is right now. give us an idea help far away are you from the cathedral like tre four hundred meters or so is not far away there and if you go outside of your

balcony. block from there ok about two blocks. and that's when you go outside can you can you smell anything i mean can you smell the the the fire the no no actually i don't i don't smell i did there is no i don't i can't. smoke i actually see the because i thought the beginning of our around seven o'clock i support my car and on there was a big big big yellow smoke what up. because it went up. but smoke is not is not spreading here i don't think ok you can't smell anything if you're very close to the conceived role is there and what's going on around the cathedral right now i mean can you see the firefighters thing is just kind of no i don't see and see first i was in the car park the car and the car i'm very close is of like i said between. the pantheon part of the car and there were people like

people have. their phones i first i didn't have realized what was going on and i thought and i know then i saw the smoke and i am and i thought that is earl and so it was a big smoke and and i can tell you their first experience was was. like all these people are under simple needs near a cup or something that everybody everybody was talking about it. filming and watching it but the very same time they're like that is kind of people like myself not ready for what is actually happening because it was a beginning there for the buyer was like the smoke of so little people could not believe that he's reading that is getting old. and they were talking to a production dummy and i said that mary moment of the backseat almost like a file and even the people talking is

a part of. the people and you say the fog and little as well because. and people are still i'm sure they're glued to their computer screens or their television sets right now i mean what information are you getting in terrorists right now about the situation what i'm watching is life here are not really what information. is and there's like not ready to have this like in front of me. like i see the writing the firefighters because i see water bodies burning you burning signs the french president manual micron he is at the scene are you hearing anything about what he has said. quite actually by reuters and i'm not reading what i read about a brick i saw this i read this and i saw what he said and i know is there a lot and i said no it's more information maybe you heard yesterday about the

possible cause i mean i'm sure would people were standing there and they were trying to comprehend what they were seeing i'm sure that people must have asked how did this the begin. well if it had happened for me it of that happened to speculate . not appropriate and especially. like i remember a few weeks ago there was there was a fire. started at the side door for the cathedral not far from here was the sounds of difference the theater during mass actually was some day when i was a few weeks ago and and the very same week there was about an attack from churches but but but even i say this i will never allow myself to speculate on that because i have absolutely no knowledge on. any information of what happened at all i see the smoke and i see that the reaction on the street and that's all i can say is

that whenever several samples. you see with one of the first things that she told him was you see this happening in there today and you also think about the series of attacks on churches which just happened recently correct when he said yes i was with and actually you can you know there are also articles about as i read about it not only i saw it but because reform not far from your sources is that these are all something that is really conservative. so i thought and obviously like you know i had those thoughts but but but i have no idea what happened. and also remember i parked the car i had a personal receipt was really really big but i thought that. i think i thought part of halfling so then crossed my mind maybe the construction as they say i hear from the from the from the new from the critter and i got some sense and information what they say to maybe construction was an increase was but you know i guess first

of all i have no idea what it was because i can only speculate speculate which i don't want and i'm one of the i don't know either even if they say the possible causes an answer they don't know is the prerogative what about the speed of the. emergency services yes again meet the fire fighters that i heard because i print. almost happen on the come first in the car here in the street among the people there are people in the cafe and i only around them gathering watching the fire and i was what i was surprised because like almost. kind of i don't know half an hour or so i want to be in factual here i guess it was like definitely twenty minutes when i heard the first helicopter. anything and i'm no expert on any fires you hear so i ring the hears did you hear sirens from you know that the fire trucks when i have fire and like i cannot i can see fire there's not

a passenger here one uprising i'm sure they're responding to it. i have no doubt it was only the first kind of. noise from the helicopters i heard about like seven twenty five member correctly so that was like right but i'm no expert from firefighting but i would i would my my you know someone who does not know nothing about i would think like with a b. showing something from the air i guess this is a fight that fire bomb you know i don't know is i haven't i i haven't seen the yes and you know we're watching the live pictures of the cathedral they can see a drill is still in flames. and you could see it even more now and that night has fallen and how do you how do you feel when when you think about what has happened today are you must be totally devastated tables from my personal experience i can

learn chris and i would say it is a very sad day i think in my opinion very sad day for humanity and the focus on is that still humanity i will say and and kind of reminded when i parked the car i just i just thought it was a big. the fact that i was that is big kind of helped me to realize what i said what i thought it was the reaction of people who were watching it as i was watching a level when they were talking but the kind of paradoxical. that the. violence dominated the moment or not find it by kind of like the difference that was actually happening yes another minute. my experience with want to print our fell after the terrorist attack and then in america and i remember that after what extensive coverage for about a week only weeks of me to realize the magnitude of that event so this time and i already feel like this is huge because it's like a centuries of of

a christian heritage and. not on the forefront but in my view is for christianity and all over the gulf for some of the system will end up going up in flames it's just like i'm this is very very very big and i am i believe in heaven more for the product or feelings about it like you know some time from now about it yeah well we certainly can appreciate that. the feeling of shock is still very very fresh. water logged in paris yet we appreciate you sharing your experiences with us and your thoughts with us tonight thank you very much all the best to you thank you for having thank you. joining me here in the studio is my colleague william no igloo crawl. you've been following what we're seeing on social media but also international reaction so yes i mean everyone shocked i mean. condolences and just really really just shock coming in from around

the around the world really of course the vatican has said that they're absolutely shocked and saddened to see one of their great cathedrals going up in flames like this after a thousand year nearly a thousand years of it standing. idle americal saying this was this is a symbol of europe not just france not just paris not just for catholics this is really a symbol of europe and surely it is most most people who visit europe or think of europe think of the notes. we heard tonight it is the most visited thirteen place in paris in paris is the most visited city in the world thirteen million visitors a year almost thirty thousand a day go there and yet as we've been talking about huge renovation repairs are needed just to keep this church standing. was just looking to see that they were there looking for as much as one hundred eighty million dollars to needed to repair

of this church this cathedral but i was by the jews which is a lot but it's not astronomical when you consider we're talking about i'm a loony i'm a millennium but compounding the difficulties of doing what's necessary to keep the infrastructure going is remember it wasn't just that they built this cathedral a thousand years ago or nine hundred eight hundred years ago and that was it has been going through renovations repairs previous damages previous attacks previous fires in the past constantly renovated so you have layers and layers and layers of centuries of different technologies of different materials of different workmanship that you then have to figure out to have to fix it's of it's a daunting task even if you have all the money which the renovation project currently does not i want to pull in journalist john laurenson it piers john what more can you tell us now the fire has been burning for about three hours now. it just gets worse and worse the towers are on fire in the north

belfry. the funnel is saying. they're not sure if they can they can save it the the the other the left or the left our seems to be seems to be under stress or seen pictures that come from drugs. that managed to get over the job very recently just a few minutes ago every fire everywhere and this is fight is lazing out of control still and the structure. you know can survive this and survive this and you know there's no know who is falling down yet but i mean it's just a matter of seconds you know we just decision i mean it it is safe to assume that we may not even be close to the halfway point in the life of this play

is right yeah i mean is it. is as long as there's still something to burn. discreet still keep burning and i'm not sure what leo one rules still up and is it possible for the sponsors who ruled out the use of names. is it possible for them to get. over and down into the down incident down to down to the same time and i'm not sure it's we're not seeing these relationships was. trying hundreds of meters up in the air you know i mean but we've we've heard from the deputy foreign minister that it may be impossible or not certain just same the cathedral so obviously you know authorities have information that we are not privy to about the severity of this blaze. yeah he's it seems like you know if you're preparing people very bad news well he's

doing exactly what. ned is is doing say no no it is a destruction as we said i don't know john if you were able to hear the first yes i spoke with. as a resident of paris on bed just describing the feelings in the thoughts going through his mind when jurors say that that is. something that is shared by. a vast number or even a majority of people tonight in paris. yeah i think all french people will be feeling intense pain in the marriage if they're close to tears. that it was like you know. like. you know i mean this is this is such a tangible you know this is this is this it person one person was this is a system that has been tangible monument to francis passed the greatest

piece of stuff. which is a tangible monuments of difference is just. seems you know perhaps even collapsing tonight and this is this is this is it is terrible things to be happening soon or it's it it's. john lawrence in pairs john thank you very much we appreciate you staying on the line with us this evening. we know two things according to reports that the firefighters are one trying to save in invaluable pricing is irreplaceable artwork that's at the back of the cathedral and that they're trying to prevent these towers collapsing whether they'll be able to do that now remember not only is that it would that be a historic loss and a cultural loss but that is a lot of material to come down so now we know that the that the the area around the

cathedral has been evacuated so people should be at a safe distance but we're looking at a very dangerous scene right now and the firefighters have themselves said there's very little they can do it point because the fire is burning so hot and in such a shoot structure that they couldn't possibly get in there so i think we need to have a lot of sympathy for the firefighters trying to contain this fire who are putting their lives at risk to save a thousand almost a thousand years french history and we also heard from john king that the of the reduce that for the fire brigades to move in any further would mean risking their lives right and there comes that question of yes this is an extraordinarily important part of western civilization's roy the catholic church but at what point do you risk human life when all other humans have as we've we've heard from reports everyone was out of this building so there is that that balance to strike we. thank you very much we appreciate. for here's some of the other stories now that

are making headlines around the world the international red cross has ended a media blackout to seek information about a nurse from new zealand has been missing in syria for five years the organization said it was acting on reports that louisa may still be alive she had two syrian drivers were abducted in the north western city of it lived while delivering aid supplies in two thousand and thirteen in japan the fukushima nuclear plant operator has begun removing fuel rods from a cooling pool you know it's a milestone in the slow process to decommission the plant which suffered a meltdown after a tsunami in two thousand and eleven removing the rods is crucial to avoid a further disaster if another earthquake hits activists have been demonstrating at the london offices of oil giant royal dutch shell calling for action on global

climate change protesters also briefly blocked several key locations in the british capital the events begin two weeks of climate change protests organized by a group calling itself extinction. we're now into africa protest leaders say they have blocked an attempt by the army to break up a sit in outside its headquarters more demonstrators are arriving to join the thousands calling on the country's military to hand over power to a civilian administration mass anti-government protests helped depose longtime president omar al bashir last week they're now applying pressure to the military council that replaced. military intends to break up a protest that lasted for days but despite army efforts to remove them this group is standing firm. we will stop here until we finish all

the will we cannot leave this really is. they are some of the sounds and since and dance capital khartoum demanding power for the people it follows the military's decision last week to overthrow the country's unpopular leader of thirty years omar al bashir although it's what the masses wanted they're angry that the army has taken power for itself the new government a real civil government a content. people with qualifications know only military people better be able not only protect our country protect our new government we are here to remove the entire system a system that does not does god give service equality to the people a system that leaves people under poverty a system that does not also done as

a country as a rich country with a human and natural resources to act as any other country in the world the new military council held its first meeting on sunday. over the weekend it also met with sudanese opposition leaders promising to rule for a maximum of two years while democratic elections are organized. opposition forces are in charge of appointing the prime minister and his cabinet for civilian government calling on them to have united voice. but the crucial decision of who will become president is one the military council wants to keep for itself. back on the streets there are also demands that bashir is associates face justice. while the protests continue many are

already painting a new picture of what life inside done could look like. freedom and you know i've decided. whether that vision one last depends on what the military decides to do next. or from africa to the middle east the darker conditions facing palestinian refugees following a policy change in the trump white house last year the united states cut all funding to a united nations relief agency that provides services for about two million palestinian refugees in jordan sprawling camps including at a rush in. the budget cuts of had severe impacts on the refugees lots as. him and in a report. twenty seven year old enlistee roams the refugee camp or he was born and raised it was once his job to clean the streets here but now the garbage is left on

collected she was one of around forty senate laborers employed by the united nations relief and works agency for palestine refugees were underway for short to keep the girish camp in jordan clean. in twenty eighteen the trump administration announced it would seize all funding to the agency so it has had to let employees go including senate issue laborers like ali. the un agency was able to raise new funds from some forty other countries but still needed to reduce its hold budget by ninety two million u.s. dollars last year. and my financial situation is difficult when my elderly father notes and deals work i can't give it to him anymore. my dream is to go back to working for what i was self-sufficient. in the campus extremely dirty and in the coming summer months it'll only get worse. really has asked us not to reveal his identity his refugee status doesn't allow him to work outside the camp his job was

his only source of income to support his family of six. but. there are now only ten workers left to clean a camp with a population of thirty thousand as a result the camp is experiencing a garbage crisis. of jordan's ten refugee camps for palestinians this one josh is absolute poorest an estimated fifty two percent of the residents here live under the national poverty line with the recent cuts to an era residents say conditions have reached an all time new low am the camp is lacking in everything. the sanitary situation very bad shit every day i have to clean the street myself. we knew of to a different camp and because it is the largest refugee camp or palestinians in jordan with a population of over one hundred thousand many families have been in the camp for generations here sanitation is not the only problem residents of houses with makeshift roofs like this one are especially vulnerable in the winter months.

a father of two says he hoped would help with building expenses but they always cited a lack of funding he was forced to go into debt to pay for this metal cover. about how i'm a grown up but i can handle this. but i was worried for my children all night about carrying them from one room to the other so that the rain would not fall on their heads i had to put buckets all over the house i had no other solution. to the solution he found is by no means sustainable water still gets through the house poses many health hazards and the children are at risk of electrocution from uncovered wires. says that when the summer months hit the roof will make temperatures inside the house and bearable he says he feels abandoned with no other option but to hope for a better future. you're watching d.w.

news after a short break i'll be back to take you through the day our continuing coverage of the fire in paris at notre dame that coverage continues right after this.

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subscribe to the documentary on you tube. the heart of paris went up in flames today as the entire world watched just after seven pm local time the world famous notre dame cathedral disappeared in huge plumes of smoke as flames ravaged the medieval catholic church there is massive damage the spa year has completely collapsed firefighters will stay until the morning at least tonight this symbol to the world of the city of lights it shines no more i'm bored.