The Daily Telegraph - Saturday
Man dies after falling from Tate Modern gallery terrace
THE Tate Modern was closed as a “mark of respect” after a man died following a fall from the London gallery.
The building was evacuated and then closed for the day following the death yesterday morning.
Authorities are not treating the death as suspicious, and the Metropolitan Police announced that they were attempting to contact the man’s family.
Police cars and ambulances attended the scene below the Blavatnik Building at the gallery on the south side of Thames, which is a popular tourist attraction.
In a statement, the Tate said: “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.”
One witness said he was in the bar on the 10th floor when he saw “a young guy” on the terrace.
In Aug 2019, a six-year-old French boy was seriously injured after being thrown from a viewing platform at the Tate Modern by teenager Jonty Bravery.
The boy, who had been on holiday with his parents at the time of the attack, survived the 100ft (30m) fall, but suffered life-changing injuries, includ- ing a bleed on the brain and broken bones.
Bravery is currently serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years for attempted murder.
The Blavatnik Building has been a source of controversy for the Tate, as its height and position allowed visitors to peer into a nearby set of flats.
In 2023, occupants of Neo Bankside development won a legal battle over privacy.
A Supreme Court judged that residents of the luxury flats had in fact suffered a “nuisance” as a result of the viewing platform, which allows the gallery’s thousands of visitors to intrude into their privacy.