Louvre reopens three days after crown jewels stolen in daring heist

The Louvre has reopened, 3 days aft "priceless" pieces from the French crown jewels were stolen by thieves successful an audacious daytime raid.

Crowds - hundreds heavy - waited extracurricular the Paris museum's celebrated solid pyramid entranceway and bunched astatine the barriers arsenic they were being removed connected Wednesday morning.

The Apollo Room, the country of Sunday's robbery, was inactive closed to visitors, with a folding surface closing disconnected the doorway astatine the gallery's entrance.

The Paris landmark, the world's most-visited museum, is usually closed connected Tuesdays and has been unopen since the heist for investigation.

No arrests person been announced, and the stolen jewels stay missing.

Paris authoritative Laure Beccuau said connected Tuesday that the stolen items were worthy an estimated €88m (£76 million), not including their humanities worth to France.

But, reacting to the theft, interior curate Laurent Nunez said the jewels "have genuine practice value and are, successful fact, priceless".

The French civilization ministry said the items stolen were:

• Tiara from the acceptable of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense

• Necklace from the sapphire acceptable of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense

• Earring, from the brace belonging to the sapphire acceptable of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense

• Emerald necklace from the Empress Marie Louise set

• Pair of emerald earrings from the Empress Marie Louise set

• Brooch known arsenic the "reliquary brooch"

• Tiara of Empress Eugenie

• Large corsage bow brooch of Empress Eugenie

How did the heist unfold?

The smash-and-grab that unfolded conscionable 250m (270 yards) from the Mona Lisa has prompted a nationalist reckoning, with immoderate officials comparing the daze to the 2019 Notre-Dame Cathedral fire.

Culture curate Rachida Dati insisted the museum's information systems worked, contempt speculation to the contrary.

Alarms were triggered erstwhile the thieves forced the gallery's window, Mr Nunez, said connected Monday, and constabulary were connected the country wrong 2 oregon 3 minutes aft receiving a telephone from a witness.

But by the clip staff, alerted by the alarms, rushed to the room, the thieves had left.

About 100 investigators are progressive successful searching for the stolen items and thieves, who utilized a handbasket assistance mounted connected a lorry, wheeled to the Seine-facing broadside of the building, to summation access.

Ms Beccuau said 4 radical person been identified arsenic being astatine the country of the heist.

In a raid that authorities said lasted astir 4 minutes, they forced a model open, smashed 2 show cases, earlier fleeing connected motorbikes with a fig of Napoleonic-era jewels.

"No violence, precise professional," she told TF1.

The heist has sharpened scrutiny of the Louvre's surveillance and president-director, Laurence des Cars, appears earlier the civilization committee of the French Senate connected Wednesday.