People watch as flames engulf the 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018. According to its website, the museum has thousands of items related to the history of Brazil and other countries. The museum is part of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
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Huge fire engulfs museum in Brazil
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Brazil: What's happening 16 videos
People watch as flames engulf the 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018. According to its website, the museum has thousands of items related to the history of Brazil and other countries. The museum is part of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
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Huge fire engulfs museum in Brazil
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BRASILIA, BRAZIL - AUGUST 29: Suspended Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff testifies on the Senate floor during her impeachment trial on August 29, 2016 in Brasilia, Brasil. Senators will vote in the coming days whether to impeach and permanently remove Rousseff from office.. (Photo by Igo Estrela/Getty Images)
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Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff speaks during a press conference at Planalto Palace in Brasilia on April 18, 2016. President Rousseff said Monday that she is "outraged" by a vote in Congress to authorize impeachment proceedings against her and vowed to keep fighting. / AFP / EVARISTO SA (Photo credit should read EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images)
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Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff speaks during a press conference at Planalto Palace in Brasilia on April 18, 2016. President Rousseff said Monday that she is "outraged" by a vote in Congress to authorize impeachment proceedings against her and vowed to keep fighting. / AFP / EVARISTO SA (Photo credit should read EVARISTO SA/AFP/Getty Images)
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Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff delivers a speech during the launching ceremony of the National Plan against Aedes aegypti and microcephaly in Brasília in March 23, 2016. The aedes aegypti mosquito is the vector of Zica virus. AFP PHOTO/ANDRESSA ANHOLETE / AFP / Andressa Anholete (Photo credit should read ANDRESSA ANHOLETE/AFP/Getty Images)
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Frightened music goers watched as a stage collapsed at the Atmosphere Festival in Esteio, Brazil, on Sunday. The video shows strong winds and storm clouds before the scaffolding crumbled. Xandi Medeiros heard about the collapse from his 16-year-old son who was at the festival. "I was terrified when I saw the video. I could never have imagined that a tragedy like this could unfold ... where the DJ died and some people were injured..." he told CNN in Portuguese.
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CNN  — 

Police in Rio de Janeiro clashed with hundreds of protesters Monday amid growing outrage over the cause of a fire that destroyed Brazil’s oldest and most important historical museum.

The 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil was left gutted after a devastating blaze tore through the beloved institution late Sunday night. Though the extent of the damage remains unknown, aerial images show widespread damage throughout the building, which was home to an estimated 20 million artifacts spanning 11,000 years.

Protesters took to the street following reports linking the fire with government spending cuts and inadequate maintenance of key infrastructure, including the building’s sprinkler system.