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A water leak at the Louvre museum in Paris has damaged hundreds of works, just weeks after thieves stole priceless French crown jewels from the museum in broad daylight.<\/p>\n
The museum’s deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, said between 300-400 works, mostly books, were affected by the leak – and that the count was ongoing. <\/p>\n
Mr Steinbock told French media the damage occurred in the Egyptian department and that the volumes are “those consulted by Egyptologists”, but that “no precious books” were affected. <\/p>\n
The problem that caused the leak, which was discovered in late November, had been known for years, and repairs are scheduled for next year, Mr Steinbock added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The volumes will be dried, sent to a bookbinder and restored before being returned to the shelves.<\/p>\n
Mr Steinbock described the books as “Egyptology journals” and “scientific documentation” from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. <\/p>\n
“No heritage artefacts have been affected by this damage,” Mr Steinbock told the Agence France-Presse news agency.<\/p>\n
He added: “At this stage, we have no irreparable and definitive losses in these collections.”<\/p>\n
The leak is the third major issue faced by the museum – which is the most visited in the world – in as many months. <\/p>\n
In November, structural weaknesses prompted the partial closure of one of the galleries hosting Greek vases and offices, and on 19 October, four burglars made off with jewels worth \u20ac88m (\u00a376m; $102m), exposing glaring security gaps. <\/p>\n