AFP – A windmill blade at the Moulin Rouge, one of Paris’ most famous landmarks, collapsed overnight, firefighters said Thursday, just months before the Olympics are set to be held in the French capital.
The Paris fire brigade said there was no risk of further collapse. The cause of the accident is not yet known.
“Fortunately, this happened after the museum closed,” a Moulin Rouge source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“The cabaret’s technical team checks the windmill mechanism weekly and has not found any problems,” the official said, adding that there was no further information about the cause of the collapse.
“This is the first time such an accident has occurred” since the cabaret opened on October 6, 1889, officials said.
Les joies d’aller bosser à 3h : se retrouver nez à nez avec l’hélice du moulin rouge tombée par terre pic.twitter.com/Xi9zI0TJHu
— Adelaide Maravaud (@AMalavaud) April 25, 2024
This photo taken on April 25, 2024 shows the Moulin Rouge blades and the missing sign loaded onto a truck after the Moulin Rouge windmill collapsed overnight, causing no injuries. Parts of it are visible, a firefighter told AFP in Paris. (Photo by: Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT/AFP) (Photo by: GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images)
This photo taken on April 25, 2024 shows the cabaret windmill without its blades and part of the missing sign after the Moulin Rouge windmill collapsed overnight, leaving no one injured. a firefighter told AFP in Paris. (Photo by: Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT/AFP) (Photo by: GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images)
This photo taken on April 25, 2024 shows the cabaret windmill without its blades and part of the missing sign after the Moulin Rouge windmill collapsed overnight, leaving no one injured. a firefighter told AFP in Paris. (Photo by: Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT/AFP) (Photo by: GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images)
Images on social media showed the blade unit lying on the road below, with some of the blades slightly bent, apparently from falling.
The Moulin Rouge cabaret, with its distinctive red windmill blades, is located in northern Paris and is one of the city’s most visited landmarks.
Known as the birthplace of modern dance, the can-can opened in October 1889 at the foot of Montmartre Hill.
The building quickly became popular, and stopping to admire its facade or watch a show inside is a must-do on most tourists’ list of things to do in the French capital.
The accident will further heighten concerns about whether Paris, one of the world’s most visited cities, is ready to let thousands more people descend in July and August for the Olympics. .
The only serious accident this landmark endured was a fire during construction in 1915, which forced the venue to close for nine years.
This photo taken on October 11, 2023 shows the Moulin Rouge, the famous cabaret and theater at night in Paris. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF/AFP) (Photo by: DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP, Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE – MAY 15: People gather outside the Moulin Rouge on May 15, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ryan Pearce/Getty Images)
This photo taken on October 13, 2023 shows the Moulin Rouge, the famous cabaret and theater at night in Paris. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF/AFP) (Photo by: DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP, Getty Images)
