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France

Moulin Rouge windmill blades collapse in Paris

April 25, 2024

Firefighters in the French capital have reportedly said the windmill blades at the landmark Moulin Rouge have collapsed.

https://p.dw.com/p/4f9uB
Sails of the landmark red windmill atop the Moulin Rouge are seen on the ground
The Moulin Rouge blades fell sometime early on Thursday morningImage: Benoit Tessier/REUTERS

The blades of the famous Moulin Rouge in Paris collapsed on Thursday morning, French media reported.

The landmark's red windmill, which was depicted in the film of the same name, was left without its most defining feature after the blades fell to the ground.

The collapse happened between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. (0400-0500 UTC/GMT), according to French TV channel BMF.

A journalist from the French channel TF1 shared a video of the blades lying on the ground on X, formerly Twitter.

Cause of collapse unknown

Firefighters said the reason for the collapse was not yet known and said no one had been injured in the incident and that there was no more risk of further damage.

"Fortunately, this happened after closing," a person with ties to the Moulin Rouge told French news agency AFP.

"Every week, the cabaret's technical teams check the windmill mechanism and did not note any problems," the source said.

"It's the first time that an accident like this has happened since" the cabaret opened its doors on October 6, 1889, the person added.

The last major damage to the building was a fire that broke out during renovations in 1915 that forced the establishment to close for nine years.

The Moulin Rouge - missing its windmill and blades
Maybe it should just be called the Rouge after the moulin broke off and fell to the ground early Thursday morningImage: Benoit Tessier/REUTERS

Home of the can-can

The cabaret house is one of the most visited attractions in the French capital, sharing its status as a world-famous landmark with the likes of the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Known as the birthplace of the can-can dance, the majority of its visitors are tourists rather than locals.

The incident comes just months before Paris hosts the Summer Olympic Games. The city is expecting thousands of tourists and Thursday's incident may add to concerns that the popular city could struggle with the influx of even more tourists.

ab/sms (AFP, Reuters)