Paris’ famous landmark suffers unprecedented incident ahead of Olympics
In a surprising turn of events, the blades of the iconic Moulin Rouge windmill, one of Paris’ most beloved landmarks, collapsed during the night, firefighters reported on Thursday. The collapse, a first of its kind since the cabaret’s opening in 1889, occurred just months before the French capital was set to host the Olympics.
According to Paris firefighters, there is no further risk of collapse, but the reason behind the accident remains unknown.
Embed from Getty Images“This happened after closing, thankfully,” revealed a Moulin Rouge official on the condition of anonymity.
The cabaret’s technical teams, responsible for weekly checks on the windmill mechanism, had not noted any problems prior to the incident. “Every week, the cabaret’s technical teams check the windmill mechanism and did not note any problems,” the source said, adding that there was no more information on the reason for the collapse.
Social media was flooded with images showing the blade unit lying on the street below, some of the blades slightly bent from the fall.
The Moulin Rouge cabaret, with its distinctive red windmill blades, sits in northern Paris and is one of the city’s most visited landmarks. Known as the birthplace of the modern dance form, the can-can, it opened its doors in October 1889 at the foot of the Montmartre hill, quickly becoming a hit among locals and tourists alike.
The accident raises concerns about Paris’ readiness to host the thousands expected to arrive during the Olympic Games in July-August. The landmark had only experienced one major incident in its history, a fire during renovation work in 1915, which forced its closure for nine years.
