In Rare Instance, Visitors Evacuated From Eiffel Tower In Paris After Bomb Threat

Visitors were evacuated from all three floors of Eiffel Tower as well as the area beneath the monument just after 1:30 p.m. (1130 GMT).

A security alarm forced the evacuation of three levels of the Eiffel Tower in downtown Paris on Saturday, France's most recognisable icon, which received 6.2 million tourists last year, news agency AFP reported. The site's operator, SETE, said bomb disposal specialists and police were examining the area, including a restaurant on one of the levels.

The alert was lifted a few hours later, a police source and SETE said. 

"It's a usual procedure in this kind of situation which however is rare," a spokeswoman was quoted by AFP in its report.

Visitors were evacuated from all three floors as well as the area beneath the monument just after 1:30 p.m. (1130 GMT).

The tower's construction began in January 1887 and was completed on March 31, 1889. During the 1889 World's Fair, it attracted two million visitors.

The monument includes a police station at the foot of the south pillar, its premises are video monitored, and visitors must pass through security checks before entering, CNN reported.

Evacuations are uncommon, though not unheard of. The monument was evacuated and shuttered in 2019 after a guy was seen climbing over the edge.

It wasn't the first time someone has attempted to climb the tower. In 2015, three persons were seen climbing the monument.

It was also evacuated twice in 2010 due to bomb threats, once in 2013 due to security concerns, and shuttered for two days following the 2015 Paris terror attacks.

To boost security, a protective glass wall 65 millimetres (approximately 2.5 inches) thick and bulletproof was installed around the base of the skyscraper in 2017.