The blades of the Moulin Rouge, the world-famous Parisian cabaret, collapsed in the middle of the night, this Thursday, for unknown reasons and without causing any casualties.
The intervention of the firefighters occurred around 2:45 in the morning to guarantee the safety of the area. There is no risk of collapse of the mill and the building. “I heard a big crash of glass, as if someone had thrown a sack full of bottles from a third-floor window,” a nearby hotel employee told France Info radio.
“It is the first time that an accident of this type has occurred since its creation on October 6, 1889,” a spokesperson for the cabaret told the AFP agency.
The same Moulin Rouge source was relieved by the outcome. “Fortunately it happened after the closure,” he said, and indicated that “every week the technical management of the cabaret checks the mechanism of the windmill wings and did not find any problem.”
The only serious accident that occurred in this cancan temple was a fire due to construction in 1915, which forced the premises to close for 9 years.
The famous establishment located at the foot of the Montmartre hill, witness to crazy Parisian nights next to the Lido and the can-can dancers, and in front of which thousands of visitors take photos every day, will celebrate its 135th anniversary this October 6. This venue so associated with the city was founded by the Catalan Josep Oller – a native of Terrassa – and Charles Zidler, a French businessman, who already owned the Olympia theatre.
This incident should not affect the activity of the Moulin Rouge, which is open every day and presents two shows each night that welcome 850 visitors. In total, there are around 600,000 per year.
