A water leak at the Louvre museum in Paris has damaged hundreds of works, just weeks after thieves stole priceless French crown jewels from the museum in broad daylight.
The museum's deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, stated that between 300 to 400 works, primarily books, were impacted by the leak, and that the count is still ongoing.
Mr. Steinbock informed French media that the damage occurred in the Egyptian department and that the volumes affected are those primarily consulted by Egyptologists, although he confirmed that no precious books were damaged.
The issue that caused the leak was identified as a long-standing problem, with repairs scheduled for next year, according to Mr. Steinbock.
The damaged volumes will be dried, restored by a bookbinder, and returned to the shelves following restoration. The books in question are described as Egyptology journals and scientific documentation from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Mr. Steinbock assured that no heritage artefacts were affected by this incident and emphasized that there are currently no irreparable losses within the collections.
This leak marks the third significant issue the Louvre has encountered in recent months, which is the most visited museum worldwide. Earlier in November, structural weaknesses led to the partial closure of a gallery, and on October 19, a brazen heist resulted in the theft of jewels valued at €88 million (£76 million; $102 million), exposing major security issues.
As of now, these stolen jewels remain unrecovered, prompting the museum to relocate some of its most valuable items to the Bank of France.
Additionally, an October report from France's public audit body, the Cour des Comptes, criticized the museum for prioritizing excessive spending on artwork at the expense of necessary maintenance and renovations of its facilities.
