Washington – The US Secret Service swung into action after a toddler managed to slip through the bars of iron fencing surrounding the White House.
In a statement on Tuesday confirming the development, Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, said the toddler crawled through the fence on the north side of the White House, setting off security alerts, reports CNN.
“The Secret Service Uniformed Division today encountered a curious young visitor along the White House north fence line who briefly entered White House ground,” Gugliemli said.
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“The White House security systems instantly triggered Secret Service officers and the toddler and parents were quickly reunited.”
Access to the White House was temporarily restricted and President Joe Biden was also inside the executive mansion at the time of the incident, the BBC reported.
The $64 million (R1.16bn) fence around the White House is 13ft (3.9m) tall.
It is roughly double the size of its previous height, which was increased during a recent construction project to enhance White House safety.
This is not the first time a toddler has crawled through the White House fence.
In 2014, a toddler had squeezed through the White House fence just before then-President Barack Obama was about to address the nation on Iraq.
The breach prompted a temporary lockdown and delayed the briefing.
IANS
