20 million historical artifacts destroyed in fire at National Museum of Brazil
  • 6 years ago
An archive of more than 20 million historical artifacts is said to have been destroyed in a massive fire at the National Museum of Brazil.
There has been widespread anger, with the public blaming the government's austerity measures for Sunday's blaze.
Ro Aram has more.

The 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro contained millions of artifacts not just from Brazil, but also from ancient Egypt, Greece and Italy.
It was also home to "Luzia," the oldest human fossil to have been found in the Americas.
Now,... almost all of them are gone.
There have been no reports of any casualties as the museum was closed on the day of the fire, but museum officials have described the loss to Brazilian science, history and culture as incalculable.
While the cause of the blaze is still under investigation, government cuts and inadequate fire protection systems have been cited as possible factors.
Brasilia had cut spending on culture and education to make up for the billions of dollars spent on the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Protestors gathered at the gate of the museum on Monday morning, expressing their anger over the budget cuts.
Firefighters said their efforts to tackle the blaze in a speedy manner were hampered by two hydrants near the building not working.
They had to bring water from a nearby lake.
A museum official said the installation of a modern fire protection system was agreed upon a few months ago, but was only to be installed after October's presidential election.
The museum was also said to have been so strapped for cash that it turned to crowdfunding to reopen a dinosaur exhibition that closed after a termite infestation.
These concerns, however, are not new.
Experts had warned for years that the museum was prone to fire due to outdated protection measures.
Ro Aram, Arirang News.
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