Cross and altar still standing after Notre Dame Cathedral fire

Photographs from inside Notre Dame cathedral showed its cross and altar apparently still intact even after a devastating fire ravaged the 850-year-old landmark in Paris.

Firefighters officially extinguished the blaze early Tuesday after a 12-hour battle with the flames.

The images captured by Reuters' Philippe Wojazer showed the church's interior as debris was still smouldering early Tuesday. In one of the pictures, smoke was rising around the altar, but the stonework looked to be relatively intact.

The giant white cross behind the altar also appeared to be relatively unscathed even though much of the church was reduced to rubble and ashes.