The Eiffel Tower in Paris, one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, was evacuated following a bomb threat, French police said. The tower was closed to the public on Saturday after the evacuation as a precautionary measure.
SETE (Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel), the body that runs the tourist site, said that bomb disposal squad along with the police were scouring the area. The search area included a restaurant located on one of the floors of the iconic tower.
Visitors were evacuated from all three floors of the tower and the square under it at around 1.30 PM on Saturday. “It’s a usual procedure in this kind of situation which however is rare,” a SETE spokeswoman said.
It is notable that the monument has a police station at the foot of the south pillar. Its premises are under video surveillance and visitors have to undergo security checks before entry.