Preliminary report: 700 Egyptian artifacts destroyed in Brazil museum fire

CAIRO, Sept 6 (MENA): A preliminary report showed that 700 Egyptian artifacts were all destroyed in the fire that ripped through a 200-year-old National Museum in Rio de Janeiro late Sunday, the Antiquities Ministry said on Thursday.

Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Moustafa el Waziri said the council is on constant contact with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to unravel circumstances shrouding the fire and get true information about it.

Most of the destroyed artifacts were gifted by Portuguese emperor Pedro I to the museum after he bought the collection from monuments traders during the 19th century in addition to five mummies who were given by Isma'il Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt, to King Pedro II during his journey to Egypt in 1876.

The fire, whose cause remains unknown, caused no injuries as it began after the museum was closed to the public.

The museum, which once served as the residence for the Portuguese royal family, celebrated its 200-year anniversary earlier this year. It contains more than 20 million items in its collection.

According to the museum's website, it has more than 20,000 items related to the history of Brazil and other countries, and that many of its collections came from members of Brazil's royal family.