Paris crowds watch as oak trusses raised to roof of Notre Dame Cathedral

The panels are due to be reassembled on the top of Notre Dame to replace the roof that flames turned into ashes in 2019 (Christophe Ena, AP)

A crane hoisted massive oak trusses from a barge and onto Notre Dame Cathedral on Tuesday in a spectacular operation to rebuild the fire-ravaged monument and bring it back to life by December 2024.

With trusses weighing seven to seven and a half tonnes, the delicate operation drew crowds along a bridge over the Seine River and on its banks.