A woman has fallen to her death from a balcony in St Paul’s Cathedral, in an incident police are treating as “non-suspicious”.
The central London attraction was closed for the day after police were called to the building at 10.30am on Wednesday to reports that someone had fallen from the Whispering Gallery.
Paramedics and police joined first-aiders there within minutes, but were unable to save the unidentified victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
A spokesperson for City of London police said: “The incident is being treated as non-suspicious. Officers are currently working to inform the woman’s family.” No further details have been released.
The Whispering Gallery is so called because its acoustics allow whispers to be audible around the dome.
St Paul’s Cathedral said it was “deeply saddened” by the woman’s death.
“Although robust procedures for emergency situations are in place at St Paul’s, and today’s response bore that out, it does not lessen the shock we feel as a close community, especially for those of us who witnessed and responded to this incident,” a spokesperson said.
“We hold also in our thoughts those visitors within the cathedral at the time. We think and pray especially at this time for the woman who died, and for all those who were close to her and who loved and cared for her.”
The cathedral is expected to reopen as normal from 7.30am on Thursday.
• In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org
