The Tate Modern in London was closed for a day after a man fell to his death from the building.
The incident occurred on Friday morning. The victim’s identity is not yet revealed to the public, nor has it been revealed what he was doing at the top of the building. The man died immediately after the fall. The police arrived at the scene at 10.45 am and closed the area for investigation. Meanwhile, the Tate Museum closed the museum for a day. However, the police have admitted that while the incident looks suspicious, it still resembles more of an accident than a homicide. There was also no evidence that another person was at the top of the building at the time of the incident.
The museum released a statement, saying: “We are very sad to report that a member of the public passed away at Tate Modern this morning. The police are not treating the event as suspicious, but we have closed the gallery for the day as a mark of respect. All our thoughts are with the person’s family and friends at this time.”
While some are wondering about how the museum security could have allowed such an incident to occur, others admit that museums do not employ heavy security – and most of the security staff is concentrated at entrances and around artworks. But it is worth noting that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred at the Tate Modern.
In 2019, a 6-year-old boy was pushed off the building by a teenager called Jonty Bravery. While the act was not premeditated, it was proven to be intentional. The boy survived the fall, though he suffered severe fractures and now uses a wheelchair. Bravery was convicted of attempted murder in 2020 and is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence.
