There are fears a massive fire has destroyed Brazil’s 200-year-old National Museum in Rio de Janeiro and its collection of more than 20 million items.
Brazil’s 200-year-old National Museum in Rio de Janeiro is engulfed under massive fire, destroying more than 20 million items that houses artefacts from Egypt, Greco-Roman art and Brazil’s ancient fossils.
However, there were no reported injuries and the museum caught fire after it was closed to the public.
An 11,500-year-old skeleton of a woman named ‘Luzia’ was housed here along with items belonging to the Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni.
Michel Temer, President said that the Brazil’s imperial family had fallen into disrepair as the building was once a place for the Portugal’s royal family. This was an incalculable loss for Brazil.
Around 80 fires were battling the blaze but by midnight it was under control and was almost fully extinguished according to the Roberto Robadey, a spokesman for the fire department.
Luiz Fernando Dias Duarte, vice director of the museum mentioned that the museum was suffering from chronic underfunding. The Federal Government did not give them anything and recently an agreement was finalized BNDES for investment for the restoration of the palace and the new fire prevention system.
Rio de Janerio has been hit hard in recent years due to the falling oil prices, management and corruption. Brazil recently emerged from its worst hit recession.
Rio Mayor Marcelo Crivella called on the country to unite for the country’s reconstruction, recompose every details of paintings and photos. He said that even if they were not original the artefacts is a reminder of the royal family that gave them independence, the Portuguese empire and the first constitution and national unity.
Tags: brazil, Michel Temer, National Museum, Rio de Janeiro
