Taipei 101 Observation Deck Temporarily Closed after Men Climb over Barrier
Taipei 101 managers have closed the outdoor observation deck of the 509 meter-high building after 2 men breached security, tied ropes to the barrier, and climbed over the top of the railings. One man was pulled back by security officers, while another made it down from the 91st floor to the 90th floor.
Shortly after 9:00pm last night two 19 year-old men entered the observation deck, went to the east side, and tied ropes to the 3 meter high safety rails. They then donned gloves, and climbed over the top, intending to rappel down to the 90th floor.
One of the men, a Taiwanese-American named Lee, made it down to the 90th floor. However, his 19 year-old Taiwanese schoolmate named Huang, was caught by a security guard, and pulled back to safety.
Security personnel were unaware that a man had successfully rappelled to the next floor until they observed security camera footage while investigating Huang’s attempt. Security guards found Lee hiding on the northwest side of the building and notified police.
Lee and Huang, who had recently graduated from high school in the US, were taken to Xinyi Police Station. According to reports, the young men spoke only basic Chinese, and communication had to be carried out in English. Both men were charged with offences against the Social Order Maintenance Act.
The managers of Taipei 101 have temporarily closed the outdoor observation deck while they carry out a security audit. Managers are considering closing the observation deck at night after the incident.
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