Eiffel Tower evacuated after climber scales monument

Landmark closed until further notice

PARIS: The Eiffel Tower was evacuated and surrounding streets locked down on Monday after a man was spotted scaling the upper heights of the monument in the heart of the French capital, Paris Police and the tower's operator said.

Specialist firefighters were on the scene, the police spokesperson said.

"The man entered the tower normally and started to climb once he was on the second floor," a spokeswoman for the tower's operator told Reuters.

The tower, one of the world's most recognisable landmarks, will be closed until further notice, the company added in a statement on its official Twitter handle.

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🇫🇷 La #tourEiffel est actuellement fermée jusqu'à nouvel ordre. Pour éviter une trop longue attente, nous conseillons à nos visiteurs de reporter leur visite.
🇬🇧 The Eiffel Tower is currently closed until further notice. We kindly advise our visitors to postpone their visit.

— La tour Eiffel (@LaTourEiffel) May 20, 2019