Man jumps to death from Eiffel Tower

Police had spotted him scaling the 1,063-ft tower, prompting them to evacuate and seal off the area. Firefighters tried to talk the man down but failed. It is thought he jumped from around 1,000 ft, said Frederic Grosjean, deputy spokesman for the Paris firefighters' brigade.

Long way down: The man scaled the 1,063-ft Eiffel Tower and then jumped to his death. File Pic

A police source said, "These tragedies are all too common, but it's rare for someone to climb to the very top before jumping off. The man was spotted after he started climbing, and negotiations took place, but he had apparently made up his mind to end his life. When he got to between the second level and the top, he jumped."

The entire tower was evacuated during the drama. Firefighters intervened again on Monday when a woman aged about 30 also attempted to jump from the tower. She was talked out of the suicide and lifted by helicopter from the structure. Eiffel Tower management refused to comment to on the number of suicides, saying, "It is always too many."

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