A fierce blaze has engulfed Rio de Janeiro's National Museum which housed millions of unique, historical items. "Two hundred years of work, investigation and knowledge have been lost," the president said.
Image: Reuters/R. Moraes
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Brazil's National Museum engulfed by fire
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Brazil's National Museum in Rio de Janeiro was engulfed by a huge fire on Sunday night, putting in jeopardy millions of the country's most valuable historical treasures.
Firefighters in northern Rio de Janeiro battled the blaze into the early hours. After five hours, they had managed to bring the blaze under control, but were still working to extinguish it completely.
Spokesman for the fire department, Roberto Robadey, said firefighters were hindered in tackling the fire as two hydrants closest to the museum were not working. Water had to be brought from a nearby lake. Some of the museum's artefacts were saved, Robadey told Globo News television: "We were able to remove a lot of things from inside with the help of workers of the museum."
Television footage showed the fierce flames light up the night sky, as thick plumes of smoke rose out of the burning building.
Brazilian media, citing security officials, said no one was believed to be injured. The museum had already closed by the time the fire broke out in the evening.
The cause remains unclear.
Brazil's National Museum fire destroys millions of artifacts
The Rio de Janeiro museum founded in 1818 by King Joao VI housed 20 million valuable artefacts. Hundreds of rooms have been devastated by fire resulting in an 'incalculable' loss.
Image: Reuters/R. Moraes
Devastation
The fire that ravaged Brazil's National Museum finally went out on Monday, leaving little of the more than 20 million artifacts it had housed. President Temer has promised to pull from several resources to reconstitute the collection.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Images/M. Lobao
Saving the artefacts
Firefighters and museum workers raced to save historical relics from the blaze. They got off to a difficult start, as two hydrants closest to the museum were reportedly not working. Fire department spokesman Roberto Robadey said museum workers had helped to save some of the valuable pieces.
Image: Reuters/R. Moraes
Burning for five hours
Twenty fire brigades fought the fire at the National Museum which started on Sunday night. After five hours it was under control but work was ongoing to extinguish it completely. Former environment minister Marina Silva called it a catastrophe "Equivalent to a lobotomy of the Brazilian memory."
Image: Reuters/R. Moraes
'An incalculable loss' to Brazil
President Michel Temer said in a statement: "Two hundred years of work and research and knowledge are lost." Calling it a "tragic day for Brazil," he said: "The loss of the collection of the National Museum is incalculable."
Image: Reuters/R. Moraes
Anger as the fire burns
Deputy director Luiz Fernando Dias Duarte expressed "profound discouragement and immense anger" as he accused Brazilian authorities of a "lack of attention." There had been funding cuts to the museum, which was linked to the city's Federal University. "We fought years ago, in different governments, to obtain resources to adequately preserve everything that was destroyed today," Dias Duarte said.
Image: Reuters/Social Media
The National Museum before the fire
The natural history and anthropology museum housed housed artefacts from Greco-Roman times, from ancient Egypt and "Luzia" the oldest human fossil found in Brazil.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Leoni
Police release tear gas
As demonstrators began to gather around the devasted building, police used batons, tear gas and pepper spray on the crowds. While Culture Minister Sergio Sa Leitao admitted that "this tragedy could have been avoided," he stopped short of apologizing.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Correa
Funding cuts
The museum had suffered from major funding cuts. According to employees, concern about fire dangers was widespread, with workers often unplugging everything in their offices at the end of the day. Workers were also obliged to take fire emergency training, but no one was on hand on Sunday to put it into practice.
"Two hundred years of work, investigation and knowledge have been lost," Temer said. "The loss of the collection of the National Museum is incalculable."
The National Museum, which is tied to the Rio de Janeiro federal university, dates back to 1818 and is one of the oldest museums in South America. The building housed more than 20 million historical artefacts, not just from Brazil but also from ancient Egypt, Greece and Italy.
It also housed "Luzia," the oldest human fossil to have been found in Brazil.
Before becoming a museum, the building served as the residence for the Portuguese royal family and later Brazil's imperial family.
But despite the building's rich history, the National Museum's vice director Luiz Fernando Dias Duarte told Brazil's Globo News that the museum had suffered from chronic underfunding and Dias Duarte voiced "profound discouragement and immense anger" as it burned. He accused authorities of a "lack of attention."
"We fought years ago, in different governments, to obtain resources to adequately preserve everything that was destroyed today," Dias Duerte said. "We never had adequate support."
The museum housed 20 million valuable piecesImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Correa
A lost identity
Former environment minister Marina Silva said the blaze was a "catastrophe .... equivalent to a lobotomy of the Brazilian memory." The museum "contains objects that helped define the national identity -- and are now turning to ashes."
According to reports, Brazil's state-run development bank, the BNDES, has pledged some 22 million reais ($5.4 million, €4.7 million) to help "physically restore the historic building."
