A rare event in one of the most visited monuments in the capital. The Eiffel Tower was evacuated this Tuesday, December 24, after a short circuit on a power rail of an elevator, Le Parisien learned from the Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), confirming information from BFMTV.
The technical problem occurred between the second and the top of the monument. The fire alarm then went off at 10:50 a.m. “In accordance with the security procedures in force”, the SETE had the monument evacuated.
Around 1,200 people were evacuated and “no visitors were put in danger”, specifies the operating company. “At 11:50 a.m., the fire, which had started at an electrical box connected to an elevator cable, was extinguished. A short circuit is believed to be the cause of the disaster. The fire did not spread. There were no injuries,” summarized the firefighters, who carried out investigations to identify the origin of the fire.
The firefighters left the scene “after doubts were resolved”. In consultation with the technical services of the monument, they “conduct investigations to identify the origin of this incident”. The Eiffel Tower partially reopened its doors to the public at 12:15 p.m., “up to the second floor”.
“The elevator concerned has been shut down as a safety measure, the three other devices are functional,” specify the firefighters. At 12:20 p.m., the perimeter was lifted.
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