Overview
- The museum says between 300 and 400 Egyptology journals and research volumes were soaked, largely late-19th and early-20th century materials used by scholars.
- No ancient artefacts were affected and, at this stage, officials report no irreparable losses in the affected collections.
- The leak, discovered on November 26 in the Mollien wing library, was traced to an accidentally opened valve in a long-obsolete heating and ventilation system scheduled for replacement starting September 2026.
- Staff are drying the volumes and sending them to bookbinders for restoration before returning them to the shelves, with a full inventory still in progress.
- The incident renews scrutiny after October’s jewel heist and a November gallery closure, as auditors criticize maintenance shortfalls and the Louvre moves to raise most non‑EU ticket prices to €32 to fund upgrades.