On Tuesday, approximately 1,200 visitors were evacuated from the Eiffel Tower following reports of a fire in one of its elevator shafts located between the first and second floors. The fire, caused by overheating elevator cables around 10:30 am, was quickly contained, and access to the tower was temporarily restricted during the response operation.
The Eiffel Tower, one of Paris’s most iconic landmarks, typically attracts 15,000 to 25,000 visitors daily.
This incident marks the second major fire in the tower’s history. The previous significant fire occurred in January 1956, when flames broke out in the TV control room, causing extensive damage to the top section. Repairs took a year, during which a new radio antenna was added. Paris also endured the tragic fire of the Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019, which caused severe damage and led to its closure for five years. The cathedral reopened to the public earlier this month after extensive restoration efforts.