Social media debates 'Jesus' in Notre Dame Cathedral fire
Social media has erupted after a woman pointed out she could see Jesus in the burning shell of Notre Dame Cathedral.
The ancient structure was ravaged by fire on Monday (local time), with images of the destruction shocking millions worldwide.
When Scottish woman Lesley Rowan began reading about the fire, she couldn’t help but notice a figure in one of the images of the blaze.
“I may be letting my mind play tricks on me here. Folks take a close look at this picture and what do you see,” she asked on Facebook.
“Jesus,” she then pointed out to other users.
The image quickly began to spread across social media, with thousands more commenting on the apparent figure in the flames.
“Wow, I totally agree – I can see a figure of Jesus in the flames too,” one person wrote.
“I can see it pretty clear, gown and all,” another said.
Others were far more sceptical, suggesting Christians were looking for a sign in a moment of sorrow.
“Could you please not do that. It is flames, it isn’t Jesus,” one person said.
Emergency services defend response
It emerged on Wednesday that it had taken 23 minutes to first detect the blaze inside the cathedral.
Yet a Paris fire official says the towers of Notre Dame would have fallen if firefighters hadn’t deployed massive equipment and acted swiftly.
Philippe Demay denied there was any delay and said firefighters acted as fast as they could.
Demay told reporters that the operation was extremely difficult and that the towers could have collapsed “if we hadn’t put heavy equipment in place”.
The Paris prosecutor’s office says the investigation into the Notre Dame Cathedral fire has not produced any indication so far of a criminal act. The probe is still in its early stages.
The office on Wednesday said investigators had been able to access some parts of the building to begin their on-site work.
with AP
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