Munch Museum faces millions in upgrades

OSLO, Norway - Oslo's Munch Museum could remain closed until June while officials upgrade its security system after a brazen daylight robbery in August of two Edvard Munch masterpieces.

The city-owned museum on Thursday released a report it had commissioned after the Aug. 22 armed robbery and said the security flaws it found could cost as much as $7.8-million to fix and take until June to complete.

"It was not pleasant reading," said Anette Wiig Bryn, city councilor for culture, about the report.

Three masked robbers, including at least one with a pistol, took The Scream and Madonna and fled in a stolen car. It was a robbery that left the art world rethinking how it protects priceless paintings and other art.

The museum has been closed for a security study since shortly after the theft. There has been no sign of the paintings, or word from the thieves, who may have stolen them hoping to get a ransom.

The museum had alarms, surveillance cameras and unarmed guards at the time of the theft, but there was little they could do to stop armed robbers.

However, the study by Norwegian safety and ship's classification group Den Norske Veritas pointed to a long list of measures that might have helped.

The list includes metal detectors, additional security cameras, new mounting systems and protection for paintings and a guard post outside. It also called for substantial fire safety upgrades.

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