Eiffel Tower in Paris evacuated after bomb threat

The Eiffel Tower, a globally renowned tourist attraction located in Paris, has been temporarily shut down to visitors on Saturday. The closure was enacted as a precautionary step after an evacuation was carried out due to a bomb threat, as confirmed by a source within the French police to Reuters.

"It's a usual procedure in this kind of situation which however is rare," a spokeswoman said.

According to Le Parisien, Bomb disposal experts were dispatched there.

Shortly after 1:30 pm local time, individuals were evacuated from all three floors of the monument as well as the square beneath it.

Visitors were allowed back into the Eiffel Tower about two hours after officials evacuated it due to a bomb threat, a French police source told Reuters. "It was a false alarm, people can go back inside," the source said.

The Eiffel Tower, an iconic symbol of Paris and a marvel of engineering stands as one of the most recognized and visited landmarks in the world. Designed by Gustave Eiffel and completed in 1889 for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World's Fair), this wrought-iron lattice tower originally faced scepticism but quickly captured the imagination of people worldwide.

Rising to a height of 324 meters (1,063 feet), the Eiffel Tower held the title of the world's tallest man-made structure until the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York City in 1930. It consists of three levels accessible to the public, each offering breathtaking panoramic views of the cityscape. The tower's intricate iron framework, comprising over 18,000 individual metallic parts, is not only a testament to architectural ingenuity but also an enduring symbol of French creativity and culture.

The Eiffel Tower's significance extends beyond its architectural splendour; it has played various roles throughout history, serving as a radio transmission tower, an observation platform for scientific experiments, and a backdrop for countless cultural and celebratory events. Millions of visitors from around the world flock to the tower annually, making it a focal point of Parisian tourism and a cherished icon of global heritage.