Brazil: Massive blaze engulfs 200-year-old National Museum

The 200-year-old National Museum located in Rio de Janeiro was engulfed in a massive fire on Sunday evening (local time), destroying centuries-old artifacts.

Firefighters from seven different stations were rushed to the spot and are trying to douse the flames, reported CNN.

The historic building belonged to a Portuguese royal family and was converted to a museum 200 years ago. It housed around 20 million artifacts, including varieties of rare exhibits relating to the history of America.

Following the incident, Brazilian President Michel Temer said the losses incurred in the fire were too great to be calculated.

"The loss of the National Museum's collection is insurmountable for Brazil. Two hundred years of work, research and knowledge were lost. This is a sad day for all Brazilians," Temer tweeted.