Famous Moulin Rouge windmill crashes onto street

Blades of the red windmill atop the Moulin Rouge, the infamous cabaret club in Paris, have collapsed.

Moulin Rouge – best known by many as the birthplace of the modern form of the can-can dance – is one of the most important landmarks in the French capital.

This is why pictures of he iconic red sails crashed onto the street in Montmartreshocked Parisians and tourists alike.

It is understood the structure fell overnight in the early hours of Thursday, but the reason behind it has not been revealed.

‘We do not know what happened, it occurred between 2am and 3am, no one was hurt,’ a spokesperson said, adding the night’s last show had finished at 1.15am.

Footage circulating on social media shows the blades lying on the street below, with some of them slightly bent.

People gathered in front of the landmark where firefighters were strapping pieces of the sails to be taken away.

The incident comes just weeks before Paris will host the Olympic Games in July-August. 

The capital is expecting thousands of tourists and the incident may only add to concerns that it could struggle with the influx of even more tourists.

The club was founded in 1889 at the Montmartre hill, and has since become one of the most visited landmarks in the city.

For more than 200 years, the Moulin Rouge has graced postcards, becoming an emblem of Paris, with the likes of the Eiffel Tower.

Tourists coming from all corners of the world travel to the city to see a can-can show in the club.

This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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