Eiffel Tower evacuated on Christmas Eve due to fire alarm

PARIS: Tourists were evacuated from the Eiffel Tower following a fire alarm being triggered on Tuesday.

The fire alarm led to the authorities and emergency services quickly evacuating the tower, herding tourists out hoping to enjoy the Christmas eve.

Read more: Staff strike forces iconic Eiffel Tower to shut down for tourists

Access to certain areas of the landmark is still restricted, with plans to gradually reopen the tower up to the second floor.

The Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE) reported that the alarm was caused by a short circuit in an elevator power rail.

The incident occurred at around 10:50 am local time, between the second floor and the top of the tower.

SETE confirmed that the evacuation followed established safety protocols. It is to ensure that no visitors were in danger.

Firefighters and technicians were deployed quickly to investigate the cause of the alarm.

The Eiffel Tower is currently undergoing maintenance, including repainting and renovations to the northern pillar lift and the elevators servicing the upper levels.

The Paris landmark was completed in 1889 and has been a focal point for millions of tourists flocking to the French capital every year.

Read more: Police arrest climber who tried to scale Eiffel Tower on last day of Paris Olympics

The incident comes shortly after the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which had been closed since a fire in 2019 caused huge damage.