Eiffel Tower blaze a ‘technical incident’ involving a ‘truck with fireworks’, police say

Paris police have confirmed the dramatic blaze that left the city’s iconic Eiffel Tower swathed in smoke was the product of an ill-timed accident and not a terror attack.

In a series of tweets to its official Twitter account, the Paris Police Prefecture said the fire was the product of a “technical incident” involving a “truck with fireworks”.

It also said the fire did not occur at the tower itself, but on the neighbouring Jena Bridge,

Police advised the public to avoid the area.

Video and photos taken by witnesses show what appear to be flames near the foot of the monument and black smoke clouds partially obscuring the tower.

The images initially sparked panic on social media in the wake of news a truck ploughed through a crowd in Nice amid Bastille Day celebrations, killing up to 60 people.