The Eiffel Tower was evacuated after a fire alarm malfunctioned as Christmas visitors were unable to access Paris landmarks
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The Eiffel Tower was evacuated after a fire alarm malfunctioned as Christmas visitors were unable to access Paris landmarks

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

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The Eiffel Tower was evacuated on Christmas Eve after a fire alarm went off.

Visitors were temporarily denied access to parts of the Paris attraction. Organizers hope to “gradually” reopen the tower “up to the second floor” throughout the day.

Rescue workers rushed to the scene after fears a fire may have broken out at the famous French landmark.

The problem was later identified as a short circuit on the busbar of an elevator, the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE) said.

Firefighters pose for a photo with a Santa Claus near the Eiffel Tower as the site was closed and reopened after a fire alarm on December 24, 2024

Firefighters pose for a photo with a Santa Claus near the Eiffel Tower as the site was closed and reopened after a fire alarm on December 24, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

The technical problem occurred between the second floor and the top of the monument and caused the fire alarm to go off at 10:50 a.m.

SETE said they evacuated the monument “in accordance with current security procedures.”

“No visitors were put in danger,” a spokesman added, saying firefighters and engineers were “conducting investigations to determine the origin of this incident.”

Visitors queue to see the Eiffel Tower as it was closed and reopened following a fire alarm

Visitors queue to see the Eiffel Tower as it was closed and reopened following a fire alarm (AFP via Getty Images)

Maintenance work has been carried out on the Eiffel Tower, including repainting parts of the tower, a renovation of the north pillar elevator and a renovation of the elevators that take visitors up from the second floor.

The tower, which was the centerpiece of this year’s opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, was completed in 1889.

Paris is hit by the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in 2019, which destroyed the wooden interior and collapsed the tower.

The recent reopening this month was hailed as a triumph after 2,000 bricklayers, carpenters, restorers, roofers and engineers worked to restore the cathedral in just five years.

The restoration reportedly cost 700 million euros (around £582 million).

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