Sails of the landmark red windmill atop the Moulin Rouge on the ground (Picture: Reuters)
Blades of the red windmill atop the Moulin Rouge, the infamous cabaret club in Paris, have collapsed.
Moulin Rouge – best known by many as the birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance – is one of the most important landmarks in the French capital.
This is why pictures of he iconic red sails crashed onto the street in Montmartreshocked Parisians and tourists alike.
It is understood the structure fell overnight in the early hours of Thursday, but the reason behind it has not been revealed.
Firefighters at the scene of the incident (Picture: Reuters)
People gather outside the Moulin Rouge in Montmartre, Paris (Picture: Reuters)
‘We do not know what happened, it occurred between 2am and 3am, no one was hurt,’ a spokesperson said, adding the night’s last show had finished at 1.15am.
Footage circulating on social media shows the blades lying on the street below, with some of them slightly bent.
People gathered in front of the landmark where firefighters were strapping pieces of the sails to be taken away.
The incident comes just weeks before Paris will host the Olympic Games in July-August.
The broken sails of the landmark (Picture: Reuters)
The sails are believed to have broken off between 2am and 3am (Picture: Reuters)
For more than 200 years, the Moulin Rouge has graced postcards, becoming an emblem of Paris.
Tourists coming from all corners of the world travel to the city to see a can-can show in the club.
This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
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