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Death of man who fell while climbing Masonic Temple in Center City ruled accidental

Police still do not know why the man tried to climb the 19th-century landmark.

The Masonic Temple building at One North Broad Street.
The Masonic Temple building at One North Broad Street.Read moreGoogle Street View (custom credit)

The death of a 26-year-old man who fell while trying to climb the Masonic Temple in the shadow of Philadelphia’s City Hall last week has been ruled an accident.

The Medical Examiner’s Office said Teklu Mangesha died from multiple blunt-impact injuries in the fall, which happened around 2:40 a.m. March 26.

Police said Tuesday they had not determined why Mangesha tried to scale the 19th-century Norman-style landmark at One North Broad Street.

Officers responding to a call for an injured pedestrian found Mangesha on Juniper Street, behind the temple.

After reviewing surveillance video from the nearby Stout Center for Criminal Justice, police determined the man fell while climbing the building.

Social-media posts identified Mangesha as Ethiopian. A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for his funeral expenses. The page’s creator did not respond to a request for comment.