Rare specimens of flora and fauna have been lost in a massive fire that’s destroyed India’s National Museum of Natural History in the capital New Delhi.

The blaze started on the sixth floor early this morning rapidly spread throughout.

India’s Environment Minister says the full extent of the damage is still being assessed but old collections have been destroyed.  He calls it a real loss.

The museum housed galleries with mounted specimens of animals and insects including preserved specimens of butterflies, frogs, snakes and lizards as well as mounted specimens of tigers and leopards.

The cause is under investigation.