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RIO DE JANEIRO, April 4 (Xinhua) – The fire that ravaged the 200-year-old Brazilian National Museum in September was caused by a short circuit in the building's air-conditioning system, announced Thursday. authorities.
The investigation determined that the fire that had destroyed almost all the historic monument had begun in an air-conditioning unit located on the ground floor, then swept the other two floors, said the head of the Brazilian Federal Police, Ricado Saadi, at a press conference.
Three fire, audio-visual and electrical systems experts have excluded the cause of crime, lightning or any flammable object.
The images of smoke captured by surveillance cameras helped the investigators determine the origin of the fire, said Carlos Alberto Trinidad, fire specialist.
"The fire started in the auditorium, at the lower level," he said.
To rule out the risk of foul play, investigators tested various highly flammable chemicals, including alcohol, gasoline and diesel, by comparing their flames to the flames left on the building's floors.
"We have not found any trace of a fire propagating material," Trinidad said.
The installation of the air conditioning system in the auditorium was faulty, said Marco Antonio Isaac, the electrical specialist.
One of the three air conditioning units was not properly grounded and each unit did not have its own voltage regulator, he said.
During the fire on September 2, about 90% of the museum's collections were destroyed, including Egyptian mummies and the largest collection of African art in Brazil. The museum also housed the oldest human skull found on the American continent, which survived the fire.
The building itself was historically important. Before being converted into a museum, it was the homeland of the Brazilian monarchy in the nineteenth century.
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