Tourists evacuated from Eiffel Tower after reports of elevator fire
Some 1,200 tourists were evacuated on Tuesday from the iconic Paris landmark, the Eiffel Tower, after reports of a fire in one of its elevator shafts between the first and second floor.
The fire, which was caused by one of the elevator cables overheating at around 10:30 am, has since been contained, according to Euronews' sources. Access to the tower has been restricted during the operation.
The tourist attraction and one of the world's most famous towers is visited by an average of 15,000 to 25,000 visitors daily.
The Eiffel Tower has experienced one major fire in the past. The January 1956 blaze in its TV control room caused significant damage to its top section. The repairs took a year, and then the current radio antenna was added to its pinnacle.
The French capital remains scarred by the devastating blaze that almost destroyed another prominent landmark, the Notre Dame Cathedral, in 2019.
The Gothic architectural masterpiece was closed for five years and was just reopened to the public earlier this month.
