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A public gallery and some employees' offices at the Louvre in Paris are closed over safety concerns
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Officials tell the Associated Press the precautionary closure is due to, quote
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particular fragility of certain beams holding up floors. A museum spokesperson says the area impacted includes the second level of the southern wing
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which is closed off due to recent and unforeseen developments, but did not offer further explanation
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Officials cited a building assessment on November 14th. They say repairs will be done as soon as possible, but no timeline has been revealed
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65 employees have been relocated, and the Campana Gallery, which is below the offices, is closed as damage is assessed
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The repairs come after the museum announced a decade-long renovation project for the building that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars
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That followed a leaked memo from the museum's director, in which she describes disrepair throughout the building and issues related to overcrowding
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Employees staged a walkout in June due to what they see as over-tourism causing damage to the historic structure
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That protest caused the museum to temporarily close as many visitors waited to get inside
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The latest troubles come on the heels of a heist that saw thieves make off with more than $100 million worth of jewels
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Multiple people have been arrested in the heist, but the jewels have yet to be recovered
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