Paris

Paris – A water leak at the end of November damaged several hundred works in the Egyptian section of the Louvre, the emblematic Parisian museum told News on Sunday, weeks after a brazen jewelry theft expressed concerns about its infrastructure.

“Between 300 and 400 works” were affected by the leak discovered on November 26, said the museum’s deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, calling them “Egyptology journals” and “scientific documentation” used by researchers.

The damaged objects date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and are “extremely useful” but “by no means unique,” Steinbock added.

“No heritage objects have been affected by this damage,” he said, adding: “At this time, we have no irreparable and definitive losses in these collections.”

The incident follows the notable October heist in which a gang of four raided the world’s most visited art museum in broad daylight, stealing jewellery. with an estimated value of 102 million dollars in just seven minutes before fleeing on scooters, sparking debate about the museum’s aging infrastructure.

At least five people have been arrested for the robbery, but none of the jewelry has been recovered.

The Louvre’s highest-ranking official announced 20 “Emergency measures” had been implemented in November to beef up security at the sprawling facilities, but provided few details about what they were.

The Louvre said there would be an internal investigation into the November leak, which was caused by the accidental opening of a valve in the heating and ventilation system that caused water to leak through the ceiling of the Mollien wing, where the books were stored.

The system, “completely obsolete”, has been inactive for months and will be replaced starting in September 2026, added the museum administrator.

As for the works, “they will be dried, sent to a bookbinder for restoration and then returned to the shelves,” he added.

In late November, the Louvre said it would raise ticket prices for most non-EU visitors, meaning American, British and Chinese tourists, among others, will have to pay 32 euros (about $37) to enter.

The museum told News that the 45% price increase is aimed at increasing annual revenue by up to $23 million to fund structural improvements at the cultural institution.

The Louvre is the most visited museum in the world and will receive 8.7 million visitors in 2024, 69% of them from abroad.