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The sails of the landmark red windmill atop the Moulin Rouge, the French capitalParis’ most famous cabaret club, has fallen to the ground.
“We don’t know what happened, it occurred between 02:00 and 03:00 am, no one was hurt,” a venue spokesperson said, adding the night’s last show had finished at 01:15 am.
Moulin Rouge is best known by many as the birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance. The club was founded in 1889 and the audience for its dance shows is largely made up of tourist groups.
The reason for the accident, which comes just months before the French capital hosts the Olympic Games, is not yet known. But it is the first time such an incident has happened. The venue has become an emblem for Paris.
An official at the venue told AFP that the cabaret’s technical team checks the windmill mechanism every week and did not note any problems during the last inspection.
Images on social media showed the blade unit lying on the street below, with some of the blades slightly bent from the apparent fall. The incident also caused damage to the front of the cabaret, bringing down with it the first three letters of the illuminated sign, according to French outlet Le Monde.
The only serious accident the landmark has endured was a fire that erupted during works in 1915, which forced the venue to close for nine years.
The accident will add to concerns of whether Paris is prepared to host the millions that will visit the capital during July and August for the Olympic Games.
