Overview
- Deputy administrator Francis Steinbock said 300 to 400 journals and research documents in the Egyptology library were affected.
- The flood resulted from an accidentally opened valve in the hydraulic heating and ventilation system, which had been out of service for months and is slated for replacement next year.
- Conservation teams are drying the items page by page, using dehumidifiers and bookbinders, and the museum has opened an internal investigation.
- A specialist publication reported some historic bindings may be beyond repair, while the museum maintains the materials can be restored and are not unique national treasures.
- Several unions have called an indefinite strike from December 15 over staffing and resources, intensifying scrutiny after October’s high-profile theft and ongoing security concerns.