Why is the Louvre closed? French museum suddenly shuts its doors after reports of 'total panic'
The Louvre museum in France has been suddenly closed today (October 19), according to reports.
Famous for being the most visited museum in the world, the Louvre is home to some of the most beloved artworks and artefacts on the planet - including the Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1503.
According to France’s culture minister Rachida Dati, the Paris museum has been the target of a robbery and has closed with immediate effect.
Posting on X, Dati said: “[There are] no injuries to report. I am on site alongside the museum teams and the police.
“Investigations [are] underway.”
French media outlets are suggesting that jewellery has been stolen from the museum, but these reports are unconfirmed at the time of publication.
A spokesperson for the museum itself has simply said the Louvre has closed “for exceptional reasons” and offered no further elaboration.
One user on social media platform X shared a video of people being evacuated from the museum, describing the incident as a “total panic”. @gregraspoutine later retracted this statement and added: “I didn't imagine that this tweet would take on such a magnitude.
“The evacuation happened in a very calm and organised manner.”