Side view of the National Library after its fire, detail of the affected wall

One of the darkest and most painful events that the National Library of Peru has undergone was the fire in its building that occurred at dawn on May 10, 1943. The culprits were controversial and investigated.
"The statements of the members of the Fire Department who intervened in the fire, rendered before the Commission, reveal that in their opinion, the fire could not have originated from an electrical crossing, ..." - Investigative commission report (1945)