The blades of the famous Moulin Rouge windmill broke off early Thursday morning. It is not yet known how the incident happened, the authorities have launched an investigation.
The metal structure of the windmill broke off at dawn on Thursday, during the night, between 2 and 3 a.m. local time, and fell ten meters, the fire department said. During the fall, the first three letters of the building's inscription, "MOU", were also torn off.
There were no injuries in the incident, according to the fire department. They added that the building is not in danger of collapsing and the area is safe.
In the video taken at night, it can be seen that the four wings of the mill, which are still connected to each other, lie untwisted on the sidewalk and in the street.
The structure was then placed against the building's facade, placed under green tarps and surrounded by safety barriers. The wings are being shipped now. According to the fire department, the cause of the incident is not yet known, reports Reuters.
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
— Adélaïde Malavaud (@AMalavaud) April 25, 2024
The collapse of the metal structure attracted the interest of local residents who came to the foot of the mill this morning to take photographs as the wings were removed and placed in a container.
"It's still very strange, there was no storm last night, I hope we find out soon what happened and that the cameras caught it." The structure is checked once a week," said a former Moulin Rouge employee
Moulin Rouge press chief Fanny Rabasse also said she currently has no explanation for what happened.
The wings are very well maintained and a technician comes by once a week to check it, he pointed out. The performance in the building that night ended before the wings were torn off, and no one but security remained inside, he added.
The Moulin Rouge, which opened in 1889, underwent major renovations during the COVID epidemic. After being closed for 17 months, it reopened its doors in September 2021.
During its entire history, the building had only one serious accident: in 1915, a fire broke out during construction work, which closed the place for nine years.
The Moulin Rouge celebrates its 135th anniversary on October 6. During its daily opening hours, two performances are presented every evening, and it boasts 600,000 visitors a year, reports Le' Parisien.
Cover image: The blades of the famous Moulin Rouge windmill have been torn off
Source: Screenshot/X
