(MENAFN- Live Mint) A water leak at the Louvre Museum in Paris has reportedly damaged between 300 and 400 works in the Egyptian Antiquities department, the museum announced on 7 December 2025.

Water leak at Louvre destroys hundreds of artwork

The leak - discovered on 26 November - was caused by the accidental opening of a valve in the heating and ventilation system, which caused water to seep through the ceiling of the library area in the Mollien wing.

According to the Louvre 's deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, the affected material includes“Egyptology journals” and“scientific documentation” used by researchers - mostly books and archival items dating from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

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The museum said that while the documents are“extremely useful,” they are“by no means unique.” Importantly, no unique heritage artefacts or irreplaceable objects were damaged, and the institution believes there are currently no irreparable losses to the collection.

Louvre authorities on finding the cause of the leak

The Louvre has launched an internal investigation to determine exactly how the malfunction occurred. It acknowledged that the heating system responsible for the leak is“completely obsolete,” had been shut down for several months, and was scheduled to be replaced beginning September 2026 under broader renovation plans.

As part of the damage control, the affected works will be carefully dried and treated, then sent to bookbinders for restoration before being returned to the shelves. Steinbock described the incident as“extremely regrettable,” and the museum said it will reinforce safety protocols to prevent any recurrence.

The infamous 2025 Louvre heist

The timing of the leak has added to the scrutiny on the Louvre's infrastructure. Just weeks earlier, the museum suffered a dramatic daylight jewel heist - in which a four-member gang stole jewellery worth an estimated $102 million in only seven minutes - raising serious questions about security and maintenance at the world's most-visited museum.

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In the wake of both the heist and the leak, the Louvre's board has approved a 45% increase in ticket prices for non-EU visitors, effective January 2026. From then on, tourists from countries such as the US, UK and China will have to pay €32 - up from the previous rate - to enter the museum. The move is aimed at raising millions of euros annually to fund structural and security upgrades.

The Louvre says the price increase is part of a long-term plan to overhaul ageing infrastructure. Last year the museum welcomed 8.7 million visitors, 69% of whom were from abroad.

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