None of the alarms and only seven out of 43 surveillance cameras were working at a Cairo museum where a Vincent van Gogh painting was stolen, Egypt's top prosecutor said on Sunday.
Thieves made off with the canvas, known by the titles of “Poppy Flowers” and “Vase with Flowers,” on Saturday from the Mahmoud Khalil Museum here.
An official said the thieves used a box cutter to remove the painting from its frame. He blamed the theft on the lax security measures, calling them “for the most part feeble and superficial”.
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He said the museum guards' daily rounds at closing time were inadequate and did not meet minimum security requirements to protect internationally renowned works of art. This is the second time this painting by the Dutch-born postimpressionist has been stolen from the Khalil museum.