A French police source said on Saturday (Aug. 12) that the Eiffel Tower in Paris had been evacuated and closed to visitors because of a bomb threat, according to an earlier Reuters report. Sightseers were cleared from all three floors and an area around the tower, including a restaurant on one of those floors. In comments later confirmed by SETE, the organization running the site said bomb disposal experts and police were carrying out deep searches. A large security perimeter was set up, and traffic was diverted.

After a while, visitors were allowed to go back inside as the authorities cleared it as a false alarm. This incident inconvenienced some tourists who had been waiting in such a long line before the threat was lifted.

It should be noted that The Eiffel Tower experienced something similar when they faced bomb threats at their premises in September 2020, which lasted around two hours and was considered a temporary evacuation this time around too.

France's iconic structure, the Eiffel Tower, received 6.2 million visitors last year. The monument has its own police station situated at the base of its south pillar, and all visitors are subject to stringent security checks.

Construction of the Eiffel Tower began in January 1887 and ended on March 31, 1889. This further marks another important historical moment for this landmark.