Paris: The Louvre Museum confirmed that several hundred items in its Egyptian department were damaged after a water leak in late November, the latest incident to raise concerns about the condition of the world-famous institution.
Officials said the leak, discovered on November 26, affected between 300 and 400 works stored in the Mollien wing. The damaged materials include Egyptology journals and research documents dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Museum deputy administrator Francis Steinbock said the items were important for scholars but not rare or irreplaceable. No historical artefacts were harmed, and the museum has reported no permanent losses. The affected documents will be dried, restored by specialists, and later returned to storage.
The leak comes just weeks after a bold jewel heist in October, when thieves entered the museum during opening hours and stole jewellery worth about $102 million in minutes.
The robbery intensified public debate over ageing infrastructure and security at the museum. In a separate incident last month, part of a gallery displaying Greek vases was closed after structural weaknesses were found.
The Louvre said the latest leak was caused by an accidental opening of a valve in an old heating and ventilation system that had already been marked for replacement in 2026. Steinbock described the system as outdated and in need of urgent upgrades.
To support renovation efforts, the museum recently announced that ticket prices for most non-EU visitors will rise to €32. The increase, a 45 percent jump, is expected to boost revenue by up to $23 million and help fund long-planned improvements to the building.
The incidents have renewed calls for faster investment in the historic museum, which attracts millions of visitors each year but is struggling with infrastructure that experts say has not kept pace with modern demands.
