Rusting Eiffel Tower in need of full repairs, reports say

FILE PHOTO: Supporters of French President Emmanuel Macron, candidate for his re-election, react after the results in the second round vote of the 2022 French presidential election, near Eiffel Tower, at the Champs de Mars in Paris, France April 24, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - The Eiffel Tower is riddled with rust and in need of full repairs, but instead it is being given a cosmetic 60 million euro paint job ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, according to confidential reports cited by French magazine Marianne.

The wrought-iron 324-metre (1,063 ft) high tower, built by Gustave Eiffel in the late 19th century, is among the most visited tourist sites in the world, welcoming about six million visitors each year.