Probe begins into Brazil’s National Museum blaze that destroyed ‘90 per cent’ of exhibits

Forensic investigators and researchers waited for access on Tuesday to the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro, gutted in a fire, to find out how the blaze began and what remains of the 20 million artefacts that made the museum one of the most important in Latin America.

After the blaze tore through the museum on Sunday, engineers were doing tests on the structure to make sure it would not collapse. Authorities had expressed concern Monday that internal walls and parts of the roof were weak.

The museum held Latin America’s largest collection of historical and scientific artefacts, and officials suggested that the damage could be catastrophic, with one official telling a Brazilian news outlet that as much as 90 per cent may have been destroyed.

The cause of the fire was not known. Federal police will investigate since the museum was part of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. But protesters, commentators and museum directors themselves said years of government neglect had left the museum so underfunded that its staff had turn to crowdfunding sites to open exhibitions. In another example of struggling public services, firefighters initially struggled to contain it because the hydrants closest to the museum did not work. Instead, trucks had to get water from a nearby lake.

Roberto Leher, rector of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said it was well known that the building was vulnerable to fire and in need of extensive repairs. In fact, the institution had recently secured approval for nearly US$5 million for a renovation, including an upgrade of the fire prevention system, but had not received the money yet.