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A rescue worker walks past the burning Elysee Montmartre concert hall in Paris, Tuesday, March 22. AP Photo/Jacqu es Brinon via AP
Fire
Historic French theatre goes up in flames
Elysee Montmartre said to be a birthplace of French cancan dancing.
A FIRE HAS ripped through a 200-year-old Paris dance hall.
The two-century-old theatre in northern Paris was said to be a birthplace of French cabaret-style cancan dancing and opened in 1807.
The Elysee Montmartre theatre was gutted by the blaze, which broke out just after dawn this morning. The cause was not immediately clear and it took 100 fire fighters to quench the fire.
The internal structural supports for the historic building were designed by Gustave Eiffel, who is famed for the Eiffel Tower.
Plumes of smoke were spewed over the Montmartre neighborhood which is also home to the Moulin Rouge cabaret.
Officials say about 10 people were treated for smoke inhalation following the incident.
The Elysee Montmartre has been a music venue in recent years, playing host to gigs by acts such as David Bowie and The White Stripes.
– AP
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