A fire burned Sunday at the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro.

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A massive fire that engulfed Brazil's National Museum Sunday night has left staff and officials fearful that many of the nation's most precious artifacts have been lost forever.

The museum housed 20 million items, including objects that tell the story of Brazil's past: the first fossil discovered there, the oldest female skull found in the Americas and the nation's largest meteorite.

First built in 1818 as a residence for Portugal's royal family, the edifice also contained insects, mummies, paintings and dinosaur bones.

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It had priceless items from ancient Egypt, Greece and Italy, and served as a prominent research institution.

Brazilian President Michel Temer called the damage an "incalculable" loss for the country. "Two hundred years of work, research and knowledge have been lost," he said in a tweet Sunday. "It's a sad day for all Brazilians."

https://www.npr.org/2018/09/03/644284093/in-brazils-national-museum...