The Louvre Museum in Paris remains closed as investigators search for a gang that stole a collection of priceless 19th-Century jewels belonging to French queens and empresses.
The theft took place on Sunday morning, between 09:30 and 09:40, when four masked burglars used a vehicle-mounted lift as used during home removals to reach a first-floor window overlooking the Seine.
They cut through the glass with a battery-powered disc cutter, entered the Galerie d鈥橝pollon - home toFrance鈥檚 Crown Jewels - and smashed open two display cases.
The operation lasted barely seven minutes.
Witnesses said visitors were evacuated calmly as alarms sounded. No injuries were reported.
According to police, the thieves fled on scooters after trying unsuccessfully to set fire to their vehicle.
Two stolen items - including Empress Eug茅nie鈥檚 crown - were found damaged near the museum, apparently dropped during the escape.
Eight pieces in total were taken, including tiaras, necklaces, earrings and brooches once owned by Empress Eug茅nie, Empress Marie-Louise, and Queen Marie-Am茅lie.
Officials described the loss as 鈥渁 major blow to France鈥檚 heritage.鈥�
Culture Minister Rachida Dati visited the site and said video footage showed the robbers entering 鈥渃almly鈥� and moving with apparent experience.
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鈥淭he mobilisation of investigators will be total,鈥� she said.
Interior Minister Laurent Nu帽ez confirmed that the Brigade de R茅pression du Banditisme and the Office Central de Lutte contre le Trafic des Biens Culturels are leading the inquiry. Around 60 officers are involved.
Early reports suggest that one in three rooms in the targeted gallery doe not have CCTV coverage, and that a local alarm may have been out of service.
Security experts called the incident 鈥渆xtraordinary鈥� given the museum鈥檚 high level of protection.
The Louvre said visitors who had booked tickets would be refunded, but gave no date for reopening. It is normally closed on Tuesdays, meaning the earliest possible reopening would be mid-week.
President Emmanuel Macron described the theft as 鈥渁n attack on our history鈥�. Opposition leaders called it a national humiliation and demanded an urgent review of museum security.
Experts warned that the jewels could be broken apart and sold in pieces.
鈥淭hey will melt down the metal and recut the stones to erase evidence,鈥� said Chris Marinello of Art Recovery International. 鈥淚f that happens, the cultural loss will be irreparable.鈥�
