1 Trapped After Washington Monument Elevator Fails

The Washington Monument had to be shut down Wednesday after its elevator failed, trapping one person and forcing dozens to walk 500 feet down the steps -- just days after it had been shut down for a similar issue, according to the National Park Service.

The monument's elevator stopped between the 500 and 490th levels at around 11:30 a.m. while an employee was in it, according to NPS spokesperson Michael Litterst. The 84 visitors who were at the top of the monument were forced to walk all the way to the bottom. The employee has since been freed.

"The cause of the interruption is unknown; the monument will remain closed pending inspection by service technicians," Litterst said.

This past Sunday, the elevator failed twice over a period of 12 hours, resulting in the closure of the monument. Elevator problems have plagued the monument in recent years, and the National Park Service says they are looking into the issue.

Image via Wikimedia