Flames Rise at Eiffel Tower on Christmas Eve, Chilling Visitors

A fire erupted in the elevator shaft of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Christmas Eve, prompting authorities to evacuate approximately 1,200 visitors as emergency services were quickly deployed to the scene. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The incident, which took place on Tuesday morning, is the latest in a string of safety concerns at the iconic landmark, which attracts a large number of visitors daily – estimated to be between 15,000 and 25,000. Despite efforts by firefighters to access the flames, it took them several hours to fully extinguish the fire by midday. The Eiffel Tower had to restrict access to visitors during the operation.

This is not the first time the Eiffel Tower has faced a fire. A 1956 blaze in the TV control room of the structure caused significant damage and required repairs that lasted for a year. The most recent incident also resonates with the 2019 fire that ravaged the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a prominent cultural landmark in the city. Authorities and tower officials are investigating the cause of the fire, which they attribute to an overheating cable in one of the elevators between the first and second floors.

Fortunately, despite the disruption, the Eiffel Tower was reopened to visitors, albeit with restricted access, limited to the second floor. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of regular checks and maintenance of such large structures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.