A water leak at the Louvre Museum at the end of November has damaged approximately 400 artifacts in the museum’s Egyptian department, officials confirmed Sunday.
The leak, discovered on November 26, affected a range of items, including Egyptological journals and scientific documentation frequently used by researchers. According to Francis Steinbock, the museum’s deputy administrator, the affected objects date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the items are historically valuable, Steinbock emphasized that no irreplaceable heritage objects were damaged. “At this stage, we have not suffered any permanent or irreparable loss in these collections,” he said.
The incident comes weeks after a high-profile jewelry heist at the museum in October, when a four-person gang stole jewelry valued at around $102 million in just seven minutes. That theft sparked renewed concerns over the Louvre’s infrastructure and security systems.
The museum has not yet disclosed whether the damaged artifacts can be fully restored, but staff are actively assessing and mitigating the impact.
