Furious Brazilians are blaming neglect and budget cuts for the fire that destroyed the 200-year-old National Museum

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• A massive fire at Brazil's National Museum, which housed over 20 million rare and ancient artifacts, has been blamed on years of neglect and budget cuts that left it in a vulnerable state. 
• The cause of the fire is still not yet known, though officials have said the blaze was a "tragedy" that could have been avoided.
• Dozens protested in front of the museum's gates, and police launched tear gas into the crowd. 
• Officials have estimated that as much as 90 percent of the museum's artifacts have likely been destroyed.

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A massive fire at Brazil's National Museum, which housed over 20 million rare and ancient artifacts, has been blamed on years of neglect and budget cuts that left it in a vulnerable state. 

The fire began at 7:30 p.m. local time Sunday and ripped through the 200-year-old National Museum in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

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SEE ALSO: A huge fire probably destroyed hundreds of artefacts, including a 12,000-year-old skeleton, a pterodactyl, and priceless indigenous texts at Brazil's national museum

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