Eiffel Tower management company denies fire

British Newspaper Express initially reported that the fire broke out on December 24 in an elevator shaft between the first and second floors of the Eiffel Tower, forcing officials to close the building and evacuate around 1,200 people. It also said that firefighters extinguished the fire within a few hours.

However, a spokesman for SETE, the company that manages the Eiffel Tower, later explained that the fire alarm was triggered by a short circuit in the elevator's electrical rails.

"A technical problem occurred between the second floor and the top of the building, causing the fire alarm to be activated at 10:50 a.m. (4:50 p.m. Hanoi time). In accordance with current safety procedures, we evacuated visitors from the tower," the spokesman said.

The spokesperson stressed that there was no fire and no visitors were in danger. Investigations will be carried out to "determine the source of the incident" and the tower will be "gradually reopened throughout the day".

The Eiffel Tower was designed and built by engineer Gustave Eiffel's firm in 1887-1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, as well as to play a central role in the 1889 World's Fair in Paris.

The structure is 330 m high, standing on a square base with sides 125 m long. The tower has three floors for visitors with restaurants on the first and second floors. The third floor, at a height of 276 m, has an apartment that was once used by engineer Gustave Eiffel.

The Eiffel Tower, nicknamed the “Iron Lady,” is a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. On average, the tower welcomes between 15,000 and 25,000 visitors a day, according to statistics from RoadGenius.