Ian Aikman<\/span> and<\/span><\/p>\n Rachel Hagan<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n A manhunt is under way for a gang of thieves who carried out a broad daylight raid on Paris’s Louvre Museum and stole jewels described as priceless. <\/p>\n French Interior Minister Laurent Nu\u00f1ez said it took just a few minutes for the masked suspects to carry out the robbery on Sunday morning, shortly after the museum opened to visitors. <\/p>\n The gang appear to have used a mechanical ladder to gain access to a first-floor window, before smashing through display cases and escaping on scooters.<\/p>\n Officials have not confirmed which items were taken but the gallery which was targeted is home to France’s royal jewels.<\/p>\n The theft led to the evacuation of the Louvre, which remained closed throughout Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The jewellery was stolen from the Galeria d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) at around 09:30 local time (08:30 GMT), the French interior ministry said. <\/p>\n French media reported that the thieves used small chainsaws to gain access to the building. A government minister said three or four people were involved.<\/p>\n A vehicle-mounted extendable ladder was seen leading up to a window a stone’s throw from the River Seine, apparently having been left behind by the gang. <\/p>\n No one was injured in the incident. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati said one item had been found close to the museum, seemingly dropped during the getaway. <\/p>\n Several French media outlets reported it was a 19th century crown belonging to Empress Eugenie, adding that it had been broken.<\/p>\n According to the Louvre’s website, the ornate crown features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.<\/p>\n Beyond their commercial value, Nu\u00f1ez said the stolen items have a cultural and historical value that could not be calculated, describing them as “priceless” and “of immeasurable heritage value”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Police were seen turning tourists away from the museum, the world’s most visited, throughout Sunday as people continued to arrive oblivious to the closure and investigation. <\/p>\n American tourists Jim and Joan Carpenter said they were about to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa when security guards “swept us out of the gallery”. <\/p>\n The couple was ushered past the Galeria d’Apollon and out through an emergency exit, Mrs Carpenter told Reuters news agency.<\/p>\n Mr Carpenter said there was “lots of confusion” in the museum, and guards told the couple there were “technical difficulties” when they asked what was going on.<\/p>\n “I knew something was up because of the way they swept the whole museum,” Mrs Carpenter said.<\/p>\n Mr Carpenter added: “But it’s great. This is our last day of a long trip and it’s the most exciting part today.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Reuters](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/7ccf\/live\/85919470-acf9-11f0-b2a1-6f537f66f9aa.jpg.webp\")
Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n![](\"https:\/\/static.files.bbci.co.uk\/bbcdotcom\/web\/20251015-170100-8e96f025b0-web-2.31.4-1\/grey-placeholder.png\")
![\"DIMITAR](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/87ae\/live\/eb809020-acfd-11f0-b8cc-151f3d48cffd.jpg.webp\")
DIMITAR DILKOFF\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/a84e\/live\/fb633530-ad05-11f0-ba75-093eca1ac29b.png.webp\")
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