France: Eiffel Tower evacuated after bomb threat from anonymous caller

The Eiffel Tower has been evacuated and the area has been cordoned off by the police after a reported bomb threat over an anonymous phone call on September 23. An anonymous caller reportedly told the police that a bomb was planted at the site which witnesses tens of thousands of footfalls every day. The police have urged people to stay away from the Parisian landmark and they probe the legitimacy of the threat.

Photos and videos posted by local reporters on social media show police patrols armed with rifles cordon off the area. According to local media reports, the perimeter of the Eiffel Tower was cordoned off after a man shouted “Allahu Akbar” and threatened to blow everything up. There has not been any official confirmation on the authenticity of threat.

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Past threats and evacuation

This isn’t the first time when bomb threats in Eiffel Tower have been made which led to the evacuation of the building. In May 2018, the landmark site was evacuated and remained shut for nearly two hours after a hoax bomb threat. A suspicious package found in Eiffel Tower led to its evacuation in 2017 but the bomb squad dismissed the package as non-threatening. The tower was closed for months this year due to coronavirus measures but gradually reopened over the summer.

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