The iron blades of the historic and famous cabaret Moulin Rouge in the Pigalle neighborhood of Paris fell during the early hours of this Thursday, damaging a large part of its facade.
The blades fell between 2AM and 3AM, as reported by the French media BFM Paris Île-de-France, which indicated that fortunately, there are no victims to mourn, only structural damage, since the incident occurred when the place was closed and there were no passersby.
Officials from the national and municipal police, as well as members of the fire department, went to the emblematic site where they established a security perimeter as a precautionary measure.
According to the fire department report, there is no risk of collapse. The letters ‘mou’ of “Moulin” were crushed and the lights completely destroyed. In the early hours of the morning, security agencies still had the blades covered with a tarp in front of the iconic cabaret.
Moulin Rouge and causes of the incident
BFM Paris Île-de-France reported that the management of the Moulin Rouge ruled out that it was a "deliberate act".
"The weather conditions, combined with possible deterioration, have led to the collapse of the wings," the Police reported as the main hypothesis for the falling of the blades, as reported by El Mundo."
A Moulin Rouge worker stated that they will issue a statement in the next few hours, "we can only say that the Moulin will open this afternoon."
Representatives of the cabaret highlighted that this type of event with the blades has never happened before.
"This is the first time an accident of this type has occurred since the founding of the Moulin Rouge on October 6, 1889," stated the company that owns the venue to AFP.
Many are relieved that it did not happen during the day when thousands of tourists arrive to take photos and videos under the famous windmill blades, otherwise, it would have been a tragedy that would currently be making headlines worldwide.
Moulin Rouge and its historical importance
Moulin Rouge was founded in 1889 by Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, as reported by Paris City Vision. It is an iconic site in the Parisian Pigalle neighborhood, where it has operated as a cabaret, theater, and cinema.
It has been the stage for great artists such as Édith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Liza Minelli, and Frank Sinatra. It is also a place where several movies have been filmed, one of them sharing its name 'Moulin Rouge', starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in 2001.
Currently, Moulin Rouge offers two shows per day. It is visited by an average of 600,000 people each year.
Tourists from all over the world cannot leave Paris without visiting the Moulin Rouge, so every day, thousands of people take photos and videos in front of its spectacular windmill.