Paris:
The blades of the Moulin Rouge windmill, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris, collapsed overnight, fire officials said Thursday, just months before the French capital hosts the Olympic Games.
There was no risk of further collapse, fire officials in Paris said. The reason for the accident was not yet known.
“Fortunately this happened after hours,” a Moulin Rouge official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“Every week the technical teams of the cabaret check the mechanism of the windmill and have not noticed any problems,” the source said, adding that there was no more information on the reason for the collapse.
“It is the first time such an accident has occurred since” the cabaret first opened its doors on Oct. 6, 1889, the source said.
Images on social media showed the blade unit lying on the street below, with some blades slightly bent from the apparent fall.
The Moulin Rouge cabaret, with its striking red windmill blades, is located in the north of Paris and is one of the most visited sights in the city.
Known as the birthplace of modern can-can dance, it opened its doors in October 1889 at the foot of the Montmartre hill.
It quickly became a hit and a stop to look at the facade or catch a show inside is a must-do on most tourists' list of things to do in the French capital.
The accident will heighten concerns about whether Paris, one of the most visited cities in the world, is ready to host the thousands of additional cities that will descend on the Olympics in July and August.
The only serious accident the monument has suffered was a fire that broke out during work in 1915, forcing the site to close for nine years.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)