Eiffel Tower evacuated after major security breach hours before Olympics closing ceremony

The Eiffel Tower was swiftly evacuated after onlookers observed a bare-chested man scaling the iconic Paris structure mere hours before the Olympic closing festivities were due to commence.

Authorities in France promptly cleared the area after the rogue climber was seen ascending the famed site Sunday afternoon. The intrepid individual, without any safety gear, breached security and embarked upon climbing the 330-meter (1,083-foot) tower.

Onlookers recorded the daredevil positioned just above the Olympic rings situated above the first viewing platform on the tower's second level. By 3pm, police were shuffling visitors away, some of whom were temporarily confined to the second floor for close to half an hour.

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Social media platforms were abuzz with clips of the daring episode, with later footage seemingly capturing the climber, now in handcuffs, being led away by the authorities. In some of the videos posted online, specialist police commandos are visible.

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One social media video featured an amazed eyewitness remarking: "There is a dude climbing the Eiffel Tower. He just passed the blue ring. I don't think he is wearing a shirt. Uh that is crazy."

Other footage depicted security forces urging bystanders to cease recording the scene and to distance themselves from the unfolding drama.

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A tweet from one witness recounted: "Not someone climbing the Eiffel Tower and making the whole place evacuate still had a good time nonetheless."

Just hours before the closing ceremony of a major sporting event is set to begin in Saint-Denis' Stade de France, an unusual event occurred. Although the Eiffel Tower and the River Seine were at the heart of the opening ceremony, they won't feature in the final festivities.

As the two-week sports extravaganza comes to a close, France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has shared before Sunday's incident that a hefty police force of 23,000 officers will be present around Paris to maintain order, with an additional 3,000 around Stade de France to secure the last day of the event.

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Darmanin emphasised that these intensified security actions are purely preventive, underscoring "no (terrorist) threat that would specifically target the closing ceremony."

He further said that the robust security operations "will allow us to celebrate our athletes and the very successful Olympic Games, in terms of sport and organization and in terms of security."

The iconic Eiffel Tower has been central to the Olympics since Celine Dion's performance during the opening ceremony from its deck. It's served as a resplendent backdrop for Olympic champions like Novak Djokovic while celebrating their triumphs and even oversaw the beach volleyball matches.