After Louvre heist, water leak adds to museum’s woes

Water leak damages hundreds of books at the Louvre weeks after heist

The Louvre Museum has confirmed that a late-November water leak damaged several hundred printed works in the library of its Egyptian antiquities department, adding to a growing list of crises at the world-famous institution.

The leak was triggered by the accidental opening of a valve in the museum’s long-obsolete heating and ventilation system, which had been shut down for months.

Staff managed to stop the flow, but not before one of the library rooms was flooded.

Deputy administrator Francis Steinbock said 300 to 400 items were affected, mostly early 20th-century Egyptology journals and research volumes essential for scholars.

While none of the rarest books were hit, each damaged volume must now be dried page by page and sent for restoration.

Officials say nothing appears “irreparably lost,” but the recovery process will take time.

The affected system had been known for years to be a weak point, yet major repairs are not scheduled until September 2026.

The delay has drawn renewed criticism, with staff noting they had repeatedly requested funds to protect the area before the leak occurred.

The incident comes on the heels of a $100-million jewel heist in October, which exposed serious security lapses, and a temporary closure of another gallery due to structural problems.

Combined with a recent audit condemning the museum’s maintenance backlog, the leak intensifies concerns that the Louvre’s historic building and vast collections are being undermined by years of deferred upkeep.

As assessments continue, the episode highlights the museum’s mounting challenges and raises wider questions about its ability to safeguard its collections against preventable damage.