Around 400 rare books were affected by the water leak. Credit: Pedro Szekely / CC BY-SA 2.0

A water leak last month damaged hundreds of books in the Egyptian antiquities department at the Louvre, underscoring the deteriorating state of the world’s most visited museum just weeks after a daring jewel heist exposed security flaws.

Specialist website La Tribune de l’Art reported that around 400 rare books were affected, blaming poor pipe conditions. It said the department had long sought funds to protect the collection from such risks without success.

Le Louvre’s deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, told BFM TV on Sunday the water pipe leak concerned one of the three rooms of the library of the Egyptian antiquities department.

“We have identified between 300 and 400 works, the count is ongoing,” he said, adding the books lost were “those consulted by Egyptologists but no precious books”

He acknowledged the problem had been known for years and said repairs were scheduled for September 2026.

Four burglars made off in broad daylight with jewels worth $102 million on October 19, exposing glaring security gaps at Le Louvre.

In November, structural weaknesses prompted the partial closure of one of the galleries hosting Greek vases and offices.

A report published in October by France’s public audit body, known as the Cour des Comptes, said the museum’s inability to update its infrastructure was exacerbated by excessive spending on artwork.

Related: Paris’ Louvre Raises Ticket Prices for Non-EU Visitors to Fund Major Renovation