The Eiffel Tower has been evacuated and closed after a man was seen climbing up its side. Photos shared on social media shows a man scaling the building from the side. He had climbed as high as the observation deck at the top of the tower when his photograph was taken.
The first two floors of the tower in Paris, France, can be reached by lift or stairs, but to go higher than that visitors need to get a lift. However, this man seemed to ignore both options and chose to scale the building instead.
An Eiffel Tower spokeswoman confirmed the incident to Reuters, saying: “The man entered the tower normally and started to climb once he was on the second floor.”
The Eiffel Tower has been evacuated and closed as a result of the incident. The company that operates the landmark confirmed this.
An official told AFP news agency that they were following “standard procedure”, while police and specialist firefighters rushed to the scene.
The official said: “A climber has been spotted. We have to stop the person, and in that case we evacuate the tower.”
Tourists visiting the popular Parisian landmark were told to postpone their visits and the streets surrounding the landmark were also placed on lockdown.
Police are said to have made contact with the unidentified climber, but it is unclear what his motivation was.