“Two hundred years of work, investigation and knowledge have been lost,”
Agencies / Rio de Janeiro
Brazil’s 200-year-old National Museum National Museum in Rio de Janeiro was engulfed by a massive fire on Sunday, putting in jeopardy millions of the country’s most valuable treasures.
Fire fighters are battling the fierce blaze that has engulfed the National Museum. The esteemed museum houses millions of items related to Brazil’s history.
It remained unclear what caused fire.
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.
In a statement, Brazil’s President Michel Temer said it was “a sad day for all Brazilians.”
BREAKING: The National Museum of #Brazil in #Rio is completely consumed in fire. Founded in 1818, the museum is the holder of over 20 million items, including mummies, meteorites, insects, & fossils. So sad to see history in flames 🙁
Video from @g1 live feed#museunacional pic.twitter.com/eCm8G6gKwA
— Justin Fleenor 🔁 (@JustinFleenor) September 3, 2018
Incalculável para o Brasil a perda do acervo do Museu Nacional. Foram perdidos 200 anos de trabalho, pesquisa e conhecimento. O valor p/ nossa história não se pode mensurar, pelos danos ao prédio que abrigou a família real durante o Império. É um dia triste para todos brasileiros
— Michel Temer (@MichelTemer) September 3, 2018
“Two hundred years of work, investigation and knowledge have been lost,” Temer added.
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 houses more than 20 million historical artefacts, not just from Brazil but also Egypt, Greece and Rome’s ancient civilizations.
Before becoming a museum, the building served as the residence for the Portuguese Royal Family and later Brazil’s imperial family.
However, despite the building’s rich history, the National Museum’s vice director Luiz Fernando Dias Duarte told Brazil’s Globo news broadcaster that the museum had suffered from chronic underfunding. “Everybody wants to be supportive now,” he said. “We never had adequate support.”
According to reports, Brazil’s state-run development bank, the BNDES, has already pledged some 22 million reais ($5.4 million, €4.7 million) to help “physically restore the historic building.”
Brazil is also struggling to emerge from its worst recession in decades, which was spurred by extensive government mismanagement and corruption, coupled with a steep fall in oil prices.