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Police evacuate Eiffel Tower in Paris after bomb threat

Police stand guard at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, on Wednesday after receiving a bomb threat against the landmark. Photo by Mohammed Badra/EPA-EFE
Police stand guard at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, on Wednesday after receiving a bomb threat against the landmark. Photo by Mohammed Badra/EPA-EFE

Sept. 23 (UPI) -- French authorities evacuated the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Wednesday after police received a bomb threat, officials said.

The company that operates the iconic 131-year-old tower said the evacuation was a precautionary measure, but did not provide additional information about the specifics of the threat.

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Police cordoned off streets around the Eiffel Tower and barricaded the bridge that crosses the Seine River to Paris' Trocadero Plaza.

It's estimated that about 25,000 tourists per day visit the Eiffel Tower under normal circumstances. The visits have declined, however, in recent months due to COVID-19.

The tower was closed for several months this year following the pandemic, but has gradually begun to reopen.

There have been a number of terrorist attacks in France in recent years. More than 80 people were killed in a vehicle attack in Nice in 2016 and 130 died in coordinated attacks in Paris in 2015.

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