A huge fire has ripped through Brazil’s 200-year-old National Museum in Rio de Janeiro.
Firefighters have been battling the blaze since shortly before midnight Irish time.
The fire broke out when the museum was closed to visitors – at around 7pm local time and was “just about under control” around five hours later.
There are currently no reports of any injuries.
It remains unclear how the fire began.
Flames engulf the 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, 03-09-2018. Image: Leo Correa/AP/Press Association Images
In a post on Twitter, the country’s President Michel Temer said it was a "sad day for all Brazilians."
He said the damage was “incalculable” for Brazil.
“200 years of work, research and knowledge have been lost,” he said.
"The value of our history cannot be measured by the damage to the building that housed the royal family during the empire," he said.
Incalculável para o Brasil a perda do acervo do Museu Nacional. Foram perdidos 200 anos de trabalho, pesquisa e conhecimento. O valor p/ nossa história não se pode mensurar, pelos danos ao prédio que abrigou a família real durante o Império. É um dia triste para todos brasileiros
— Michel Temer (@MichelTemer) September 3, 2018
The museum is known as one of the largest museums of natural history and anthropology in the Americas.
It housed a number of landmarks collections – including artefacts from Egypt, Greco-Roman art and some of the first fossils found in Brazil.
Antes e durante. Muito medo de ter que enfrentar o depois. #MuseuNacional @MuseuNacional pic.twitter.com/x3yMMQo8tj
— Tania Dominici (@TaniaDominici) September 3, 2018
Many of its collections came from members of Brazil's royal family.
The vice director of the museum, Luiz Fernando Dias Duarte, told Globo News that the museum has faced chronic underfunding.
"Everybody wants to be supportive now. We never had adequate support," he said.
Flames engulf the 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, 03-09-2018. Image: Leo Correa/AP/Press Association Images
Infelizmente, dado o estado de penúria financeira da UFRJ e das demais universidades públicas nos últimos três anos, esta era uma tragédia anunciada.
— Marina Silva 18 (@MarinaSilva) September 3, 2018
The fire has already led to recriminations over budgets deficits in the city, with presidential candidate Marina Silva tweeting: "Unfortunately, given the financial straits of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and all the other public universities the last three years, this was a tragedy that could be seen coming.”
The presidential election is due to be held in October.
