Brazilian officials on Monday blamed years of government cutbacks for an inferno that gutted the treasured National Museum, described by President Michel Temer as a "tragic" loss of knowledge and heritage.
Even before the embers had begun to cool Monday, grief over the huge cultural loss gave way to anger at funding cuts many say are threatening Brazil's multi-cultural heritage.
The museum's destruction caused a social media outcry and a crowd of around 500 protesters gathered to form a human chain around its still-smoldering remains.
"It's not enough just to cry, it is necessary that the federal government, which has resources, helps the museum to reconstruct its history," director Alexandre Keller said in front of the devastated building.
The fire, the cause of which remains unknown, broke out late Sunday around 7:30 pm (2230 GMT).
The majestic edifice was swept by flames after closing to the public as plumes of smoke shot into the night sky, while scores of firefighters battled into the early morning to control the blaze.
The fire had been largely smothered early Monday, but not before it had torn through hundreds of artifact-packed rooms in the 13,000-square-meter (139,930-foot) building.
By morning, the extent of the losses were still unclear -- although a fire department spokesman told AFP there were no reports of victims so far.
Firefighters combed the charred ruins to see what might be salvageable.
"The facade is resistant, but a lot of material fell from the roof," a fire spokesman said. "We are going to proceed with great care, to see if we can save something."
"This is a sign of the lack of investment, a lack of resources and the consequences that brings." The museum's collection included art and artifacts from Greco-Roman times and Egypt, as well as the oldest human fossil found within today's Brazilian borders, known as "Luzia."
"This is a tragic day for Brazil," Temer said in a statement. "Two hundred years of work and research and knowledge are lost."
A deputy director at the museum, Luiz Fernando Dias Duarte, voiced "profound discouragement and immense anger" as the treasured institution burned, accusing Brazilian authorities of a "lack of attention."
Sa Leitao, who in July 2017 became culture minister under Temer -- a deeply unpopular center-right leader -- acknowledged that "the tragedy could have been avoided" but said "the problems of the National Museum have been piling up over time."
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