French officials on Monday evacuated the Eiffel Tower and closed it until further notice after a man was spotted climbing the structure, AFP reported. An unidentified official said that police personnel have communicated with the climber but are yet to ascertain his motive.

An unidentified official said the evacuation was standard procedure. “A climber has been spotted,” an official told AFP. “We have to stop the person, and in that case we evacuate the tower.”

The authorities in charge of the tower’s operations asked visitors to postpone their visit.

Images on social media indicate that he has reached the observation deck that is near the top of the tower. An Eiffel Tower spokesperson told Reuters that the man entered the monument normally. “He started to climb once he was on the second floor,” she said. Specialist firefighters are at the site.