Delicate work of dismantling Notre-Dame’s charred scaffolding begins

Work started on the the charred remains of scaffolding that melted atop Notre-Dame when the cathedral went up in flames, with workers beginning the delicate job of dismantling the 200 tonnes of metal.

The centuries-old jewel of Gothic architecture was ravaged by fire on April 15, 2019.

Two teams of five workers each will take turns descending on ropes into the heat-warped web of scaffolding, made up of 40,000 pieces, and use saws to cut through metal tubes that fused together in the inferno. The chunks will then be lifted out by a crane.

The imposing tower of scaffolding was erected before the blaze for the restoration of Notre-Dame’s spire that was then toppled and destroyed by the flames.

Teams have spent months consolidating the structure with metal girders so it can be dismantled without collapsing.

The cathedral is still closed, and will be for several years during renovations.

Read more via France 24/AFP