Donations to rebuild Notre-Dame top 600mn euros

Paris: Pledges from France´s corporations and richest families to help rebuild the fire-ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris have topped 600 million euros ($680 million), according to an AFP tally of donations announced so far.

The latest major contribution came from French cosmetics giant L´Oreal and its founding Bettencourt family, which gave 200 million euros to the reconstruction effort.

Paris was struck in its very heart on Monday as flames devoured the roof of Notre-Dame, the medieval cathedral made famous by Victor Hugo, its two massive towers flanked with gargoyles instantly recognisable even by people who have never visited the city.

Thousands of Parisians poured into the streets to watch as the fire spread, overwhelmed by the catastrophic damage to a global heritage site visited by nearly 14 million tourists and Catholic faithful each year.

The sense of loss was etched on onlookers´ faces, many wiping away tears as they contemplated the prospect that the Notre-Dame they knew might now only been seen in history books.