The 200-year-old Paris theatre thought to be the birthplace of the can-can has been badly damaged in a fire.

The fire at the the Elysee Montmartre theatre sent plumes of smoke over the district which is also home to the Moulin Rouge cabaret.

The blaze gutted the building whose internal structural supports were designed by Gustave Eiffel, famed for the Eiffel Tower.

About 10 people were treated for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire was not known.

In recent years, the ivy-draped Elysee Montmartre has been a music venue where acts such as Counting Crows, David Bowie and The White Stripes have played.

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