Jewels of "inestimable value" were stolen Sunday morning from the Louvre in Paris by criminals who fled the scene, as the world's most visited museum announced its closure for "exceptional reasons," according to concordant sources.

The incident took place between 9:30 and 9:40 a.m. (7:30 and 7:40 a.m. GMT), when criminals entered the museum located in the heart of the French capital and stole several art objects before fleeing, AFP learned from a source close to the case.

The amount of the loot is of "inexpensive value," said Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.

He told French media that the thieves - "3 or 4" - had carried out the attack in "7 minutes."

They entered the Museum from outside using a "nacelle" which was on a truck to enter "the Apollo room" where they focused on "two display cases," the minister said.

An investigation has been opened for organized theft and criminal conspiracy to commit a crime, and has been entrusted "to the Criminal Investigation Department's Brigade for the Suppression of Banditry (BRB), with the support of the Central Office for Combating Trafficking in Cultural Property (OCBC)," the Paris prosecutor's office told AFP, adding that the exact damage "is currently being assessed."

- Small chainsaws -

They were armed with small chainsaws, according to a police source. A scooter was found after they escaped.

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati had first reported on X that a "robbery" had occurred at the opening of the Louvre, which houses Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, the Mona Lisa.

"A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the Louvre Museum. No injuries were reported. I am on site alongside the museum staff and the police. Investigations are underway," wrote the minister, who was joined on the scene by Mr. Nuñez.

Contacted by AFP, the museum declined to comment immediately.

The Louvre, which welcomed nearly 9 million visitors in 2024, 80% of whom were foreigners, indicated on X that it would remain "closed today for exceptional reasons," a message also broadcast in English.

Several French museums have recently been targeted by burglaries and thefts, highlighting possible flaws in protection and surveillance systems.

In mid-September, specimens of native gold were stolen during a break-in at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, which deplored an "inestimable loss" for research and heritage.

The theft involved several specimens of native gold, gold in its natural form, the museum explained, estimating the value of the damage at around 600,000 euros.

During the same month of September, a museum in Limoges, in central France, a leading porcelain museum, suffered a burglary with damage estimated at 6.5 million euros.