Bomb threat prompts temporary Eiffel Tower evacuation

3 years ago

Bomb threat prompts  temporary Eiffel Tower evacuation

The Eiffel Tower was evacuated for several hours on Wednesday after French police received a call claiming that a bomb had been placed there.

Hundreds of people, including tourists, restaurant staff and workmen were led away as the area around the Paris monument was cordoned off.

The Paris police confirmed that officers did not find anything suspicious, but declined to provide more details about the anonymous call.

Manuel, a tour guide, who was at the scene when the evacuation took place, said: "It was an orderly evacuation, there was no panic."

The monument reopened at about 2:25 p.m. local time (12:25 p.m. GMT) under strict security measures, according to a police official.

The iconic landmark in the French capital only reopened to the public on 25 June after nearly two months of closure amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Security measures at the tower were reinforced in 2018 to protect it from potential terror attacks.

Bullet proof glass walls, large bricks and metal barriers were placed around the base of the tower and additional security checks were introduced for visitors.

As one of the most visited monuments in France, it attracts about seven million visitors per year, mostly foreigners.