Paris, Oct. 19 (BNA): Thieves broke into Paris' Louvre Museum by using a crane and smashing an upstairs window on Sunday, stealing priceless jewellery from an area that houses the French crown jewels before escaping on motorbikes, the French government said.

The robbery is likely to raise awkward questions about security at the museum, where officials had already sounded the alarm about a lack of investment at a world-famous site that welcomes 8.7 million visitors in 2024.

The thieves struck at about 9:30 am (0730 GMT) when the museum had already opened its doors to the public, and entered the Galerie d'Apollon building, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

No injuries were reported, according to Reuters.

The Louvre, the world's most-visited museum and home to Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, said on X it would remain closed for the day for "exceptional reasons".

In one of the most daring art thefts in history, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the museum in 1911 in a heist involving a former employee. He was eventually caught, and the painting was returned to the museum two years later.

H.K, A.A.M