The historic Moulin Rouge windmill in Paris suffered a rare collapse of its sails overnight, marking the first time in its 134-year history that such an incident occurred. Paris firefighters have confirmed that there is no further risk of collapse, and fortunately, no one was harmed.
According to a Moulin Rouge official, the club’s technical teams regularly check the windmill mechanism each week and had not noticed any issues prior to the collapse. However, the cause of the incident remains unknown. The club’s director mentioned that there were no signs of foul play, suggesting that a technical failure may have been the reason for the collapse.
The fall of the windmill sails led to damage to the venue’s signage, knocking off the first three letters of “Moulin.” The windmill sails were seen being loaded into a truck for further inspection. Moulin Rouge, founded in 1889, is a symbol of Paris nightlife and is famous for being the birthplace of the can-can dance. The club is set to celebrate its 135th anniversary on Oct. 6.
Despite previous incidents like a fire in 1915 that forced the club to close for nine years, this collapse has caused widespread concern among locals and tourists eagerly waiting for updates on restoration efforts at one of Paris’ most recognized monuments.
