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11th August 2024
03:12pm BST
The Eiffel Tower was evacuated hours before the Olympic closing ceremony after a man was seen climbing up the Parisian landmark.
The shirtless man was spotted scaling the 330m tower on Sunday afternoon prompting an evacuation of the area.
Footage of the incident began circulating on social media as the man appeared just above the Olympic rings, slightly higher than the first viewing deck although it is unclear where the man started his ascent.
BREAKING: The Eiffel Tower has been evacuated after a man was spotted climbing the landmark.https://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 11, 2024
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/7Xt3VrKIDe
The police swiftly evacuated the base of the tower as a precaution as they detained the man before he could climb any further as shocked tourists watched from afar.
A number of visitors were reportedly locked on the second floor of the structure whilst the incident unfolded but were allowed to exit around 30 minutes later.
The closing ceremony is scheduled for 9pm which is 8pm BST, with 30,000 police officers deployed around the French capital to ensure the smooth running of the final day of the games.
The Eiffel Tower is not thought to play a part in the closing ceremony as the Stade de France will play host to the show which will see the baton passed to America who host the 2028 games.
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