Notre-Dame's restoration ready to start as safety work completed

Paris: Work to shore up the Notre-Dame de Paris has been finished, allowing restoration to start at the cathedral two years after a fire destroyed the attic and sent its spire crashing through the vaults below, officials said on Saturday.

Soon after the April 2019 blaze, President Emmanuel Macron said the cathedral - which dates back to the 12th century - would be rebuilt and later promised to get it reopened to worshippers by 2024, when France hosts the Olympic Games.

The final phase of efforts to secure its structure included reinforcing the fire-damaged vaults with giant wooden arch-shaped frames, the state agency leading the work said, adding that it was on track to meet Macron's reopening target date.