Louvre water leak: Hundreds of 19th–20th century items damaged

A water leak at the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris has damaged between 300 and 400 works, mainly books and research journals, the museum has confirmed. The incident comes just months after thieves stole priceless French crown jewels from the museum in broad daylight, raising fresh concerns over its infrastructure and security, according to the BBC. The leak was discovered on 26 November in the museum’s Egyptian department. Deputy administrator Francis Steinbock said the damaged items were mainly Egyptology journals and scientific documents dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These materials are widely used by researchers but are not unique or rare, he clarified. “No heritage artefacts have been affected by this damage. At this stage, we have no irreparable an