The Louvre Museum in Paris was forced to close after a break-in. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed the incident on X, saying, “A robbery took place at the opening of the Louvre Museum.”
The thieves arrived between 9:30 a.m. and 9:40 a.m. (local time on Sunday) and stole jewellery, adding that the value of the items was still being estimated. No injuries were reported. Another source described the robbers as arriving on a scooter armed with small chainsaws. They reportedly used a goods lift to reach the room they were targeting.
The Louvre, once the seat of French kings until Louis XIV moved to Versailles in the late 1600s, is regularly listed as the world’s most visited museum. Last year, it welcomed nine million visitors.
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The criminals entered the sprawling building from the façade facing the Seine River, where construction work is ongoing. They used a freight lift “to gain direct access to the targeted room in the Apollo Gallery”. After breaking the windows, they reportedly stole “nine pieces from the jewellery collection of Napoleon and the Empress”.
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