PARIS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- France's "Iron Lady", the Eiffel Tower, is closed to visitors on Friday and will remain closed all day on Saturday, "in order to ensure the safety of visitors", as snowfall and freezing rain hit the capital city, the operating company of the monument, SETE, announced Friday.
"The large amount of snow covering the Eiffel Tower combined with very low temperatures have led to black ice forming, thus making it impossible to use the platforms and staircases," said the company in a statement, adding that the temporary closure would allow France's iconic monument to be completely cleared of snow and black ice.
Due to heavy snowfall, the Iron Lady was also closed to visitors on Tuesday.
According to SETE, the nature of the tower makes the process of clearing the snow away relatively complex, because it is impossible to envisage gritting the platforms as this is corrosive for metal, and it is not authorized as it could also damage the lift mechanisms.
Instead, shovels are used to clear away the deeper layers of snow, and an anti-frost treatment is carried out by applying calcium chloride and heating the platforms, the statement said.
The Eiffel Tower will reopen on Sunday, Feb. 11.
