Thursday, December 26, 2024

Eiffel Tower forced to close and tourists evacuated after an incident at the famous Paris attraction

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The Eiffel Tower was evacuated on Christmas Eve after the fire alarm went off because of a technical problem in a lift.

Around 1000 people left the historic French landmark on Tuesday morning so that French emergency services could check the problem.

‘It turned out to be a short circuit in an elevator power rail,’ said a spokesman for SETE, the tower’s management company.

‘The technical problem occurred between the second floor and the top of the monument, causing the fire alarm to be triggered at 10.50am.

‘In accordance with current safety procedures, we evacuated the monument,’ the spokesman added.

Visitors queue at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower as the site was closed and then reopened after a fire was reported in Paris, on December 24

This photograph shows firefighters in their vehicle stationned at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower, where a fire was reported in Paris, on December 24

This photograph shows firefighters in their vehicle stationned at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower, where a fire was reported in Paris, on December 24

Firefighters pose for a picture with a Santa Claus near the Eiffel Tower as the site was closed and then reopened after a fire was reported in Paris, on December 24

Firefighters pose for a picture with a Santa Claus near the Eiffel Tower as the site was closed and then reopened after a fire was reported in Paris, on December 24

He added that there was no fire, and ‘no visitors were put in danger.’

Investigations followed, to ‘identify the origin of this incident,’ and the tower would be ‘reopened gradually during the day.’

The 1083ft tall Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognisable structures in the world, and visited by some 6million people a year.

Fire security has been stepped up at all Paris monuments since the devastating blaze at nearby Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019.

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