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Eiffel Tower evacuated after man spotted climbing up its side Eiffel Tower climber in custody after reaching top
(about 5 hours later)
The Eiffel Tower has been closed after a man was seen climbing up its side. A man who climbed the Eiffel Tower on Monday was taken into custody by police after reaching the top.
The company that operates the Parisian landmark confirmed that someone was scaling the building, and that it had been evacuated as a result. The tower and the esplanade at its base were closed after the man was spotted scaling the structure in the afternoon.
An official told AFP news agency that they were following "standard procedure", while police and specialist firefighters rushed to the scene. Video footage showed him close to the observation deck at the top of the tower. His motivation for climbing the 1,000ft (300m) tower was unclear.
"A climber has been spotted," they said. "We have to stop the person, and in that case we evacuate the tower." The man, who has not yet been identified, clung to the Parisian landmark for more than six hours.
The esplanade underneath the tower was also evacuated, while tourists were told to postpone their visits. 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.
Images posted on social media show him close to the observation deck at the top of the tower.
An Eiffel Tower spokeswoman told Reuters: "The man entered the tower normally and started to climb once he was on the second floor."An Eiffel Tower spokeswoman told Reuters: "The man entered the tower normally and started to climb once he was on the second floor."
The first two floors of the landmark can be reached by lift or stairs, but to go higher than that visitors need to get a lift. Streets surrounding the landmark were cleared and closed to the public.
The first two floors of the tower can be reached by lift or stairs, but to go higher than that visitors need to take a lift.