Eiffel Tower Briefly Evacuated Due to Bomb Threat (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Paris police briefly evacuated the Eiffel Tower and blockaded the surrounding area Wednesday after a phone-in bomb threat.
Police cordoned off the Parisian landmark around midday Wednesday after an anonymous phone call was made claiming explosives had been left there.
Armed officers could be seen at a cordon set up on nearby roads, while French media reported that explosives teams were searching the site, DailyMail reported.
Roads leading to the landmark, in Paris's 7th arrondissement, have been closed while people are being told to avoid the area.
Police blocked off the streets below the tower and the bridge stretching across the Seine River to Trocadero Plaza, but started lifting the barricades about two hours later. An officer at the scene told The Associated Press that police found no signs of the threatened bomb.
Some tourists were still walking in the area during the police operation, including a group speaking Russian and carrying a bottle of Champagne.
The 131-year-old tower gets about 25,000 tourists daily in normal years, but visits are down this year because of coronavirus travel restrictions. While the Eiffel Tower is scheduled to be open every day, it occasionally closes because of suicide threats, bomb threats or labor strikes.
