RIO DE JANEIRO (REUTERS) - A massive fire raced through Brazil's 200-year-old National Museum in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday (Sept 2), probably destroying its collection of more than 20 million items, ranging from archaeological finds to historical memorabilia.

The destruction of the building, once a palace for emperors that had fallen into disrepair, was an "incalculable loss for Brazil," President Michel Temer said in a statement.

"Two hundred years of work, research and knowledge were lost."

There was no word of the possible cause late on Sunday, nor if there were casualties or the exact extent of damage.

Firefighters in Rio did not reply to requests for comment.

Live television broadcast images of the fire, which began after the end of visiting hours at 5pm, burning out of control throughout the building late into the night.

The museum, which is tied to the Rio de Janeiro federal university and the education ministry, was founded in 1818. It houses several landmark collections, including Egyptian artifacts and the oldest human fossil found in Brazil.

In a statement posted on its website in June, BNDES agreed to financing of 21.7 million reais (S$7.3 million) to "physically restore the historic building" and also to carry out work to "guarantee more security to its collections."