The Eiffel Tower has been evacuated and the area sealed off by armed police after an anonymous bomb threat was phoned in. Investigations are underway to determine whether the threat is legitimate.
Police received an anonymous phone call warning that a bomb had been planted at the world famous monument at around noon local time on Wednesday.
Eyewitness footage from the scene shows armed police sealing off the area and establishing a security perimeter while sniffer dogs and bomb disposal technicians search the area.
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A spokesperson for the company that runs the Eiffel Tower said the evacuation was a precautionary measure after police received an anonymous tip but could not provide additional details about the situation.
Les abords de la Tour Eiffel sont bouclés par la police. Il y a une alerte à la bombe. La circulation est déviée Quai Branly. – @BFMParispic.twitter.com/WZnWytKk0f
Major traffic diversions are in place in Paris’s 7th arrondissement and the streets have been cleared of all activity while police conduct searches of the area.
The Eiffel Tower reopened to tourists on June 25 after staying shut for 104 days during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in France. It is one of the most-visited landmarks in Paris and attracts millions of tourists to the city each year.
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