The sails of the windmill above the Moulin Rouge cabaret, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris, collapsed overnight, with its operator saying there was no foul play.

No one was hurt and the cabaret will reopen on Thursday evening.

While the reason for the accident was not yet known, the Moulin Rouge's director Jean-Victor Clerico said there was no sign of "foul play", adding the cause was "obviously a technical problem".

"We'll rise to the challenge," Clerico said. "The Moulin Rouge is 135 years old, so it's seen all kinds of things."

The incident, which happened around 1:45 am (2345 GMT on Wednesday), after the nightspot closed, comes ahead of the July-August Olympic Games, which is expected to draw millions of visitors.

Hundreds of thousands of people watch the Moulin Rouge's daily shows each year, with many more stopping to look from the outside at the landmark at the foot of the Montmartre hill.

The collapse would "especially move the show business world and everyone who loves Paris," Culture Minister Rachida Dati posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo told AFP she felt "great pain" at the damage to a landmark "famous the world over".

"We're putting everything into getting the sails back onto our iconic windmill as quickly as possible," the Moulin Rouge said in a statement. Both city hall and the culture ministry offered to help.

'Deafening noise'

The sails had been rebuilt two decades ago to make them lighter, director Clerico said, adding that there were checks every two months —  the most recent on 20 March.

An AFP journalist saw workers loading the slightly twisted sails of the windmill into the bed of a truck for removal, while barriers were set up around the Moulin Rouge.

The letters M, O and U had also toppled from the name spelled out on the building's facade.

There was a "deafening noise" like "bombing" as the sails fell, said 35-year-old Assama Mohammad, who lives near the Moulin Rouge.

"I saw the sails on the ground. I said to myself there must be people dead or injured," she added.

"It's really moving, because (the Moulin Rouge) is a real symbol around here... it's a source of life for the neighbourhood," said Celine Ligonie, 52, another local woman.

The Moulin Rouge, with its distinctive red windmill sails built of wood and metal, is located in northern Paris and is one of the most visited landmarks in the city.

Director Clerico said there would be "no impact" on the Moulin Rouge programme from the sails' fall.

600,000 visitors annually

Around 600,000 people each year watch its two daily shows held year-round, keeping 450 staff in work.

The Moulin Rouge is known as the birthplace of the cancan, a risque dance that emerged in the 19th century, known for its high kicks that exposed both the petticoat and the leg.

The venue opened its doors in October 1889 at the foot of the Montmartre hill.

It quickly became a hit and a stop to look at its facade or catch a show inside is a must on most tourists' checklist for the French capital —  especially since the eponymous 2001 film by Baz Luhrmann.

The only serious accident the landmark has endured was a fire that broke out during works in 1915, which forced the venue to close for nine years.

For local resident Julia Menard-Rossini, 27, the Moulin Rouge is "a little lighthouse at night".

"Now I'll have to make my way home without the lighthouse."