The symbol of the Parisian cabaret Moulin Rouge in ruins. The blades of the mill collapsed

The shovels apparently fell on the street and also damaged the illuminated sign of the cabaret. The incident happened between two and three o’clock on Thursday night, BFM-TV reported.

According to an AFP source, the wings collapsed after the cabaret’s opening hours. The debris was removed Thursday morning around eight o’clock.

“This is the first incident of its kind since its establishment on October 6, 1889,” the company said. In 1915, however, the premises of the cabaret were seriously damaged by fire. According to the management of Moulin Rouge, the windmill is checked regularly by technicians, but they did not notice any defects.

The Moulin Rouge cabaret in the Pigalle district opened in 1889. Over the years, it has become one of the symbols of Paris. Windmills were still relatively common on the nearby hill of Montmartre in the early 19th century, before this part of the city became a hot spot for artists and culture.

The incident happened a few months before the start of the Olympic Games in the French capital, which are expected to attract a large number of visitors to Paris. The Moulin Rouge itself and the surrounding businesses are a popular tourist attraction. The business is open all year round and hosts two shows a day. According to estimates, approximately 600,000 people visit it every year.