Notre Dame rector warns cathedral has "50% chance" of being saved

As Notre Dame Cathedral awaits restoration in 2021 after this year's devastating fire that destroyed much of the historic landmark's roof, the rector of the church said there's a “50% chance” the structure may not be saved, AP reports.

Why it matters: The scaffolding installed before the fire in April risks collapsing during clean-up.

“Today we can say that there is maybe a 50% chance that it will be saved. There is also 50% chance of scaffolding falling onto the three vaults, so as you can see the building is still very fragile."

Of note: The 855-year-old cathedral won't hold Christmas mass for the first time in 216 years due to its fragile state.

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