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Bomb Scare at Eiffel Tower

August 9, 2013

Bomb threat empties Eiffel Tower

By Paul Thomson :: 10:58 AM

A bomb scare at Paris’ landmark Eiffel Tower has caused an evacuation of the monument, according to French police.

The evacuation order came around 2:00 PM local time in Paris, and the attraction has not yet been reopened to tourists and visitors.

Although the tower is usually the subject of a handful of hoax bomb threats every year, authorities are on heightened alert with this particular threat, because of the recent terrorist “chatter” discovered in the middle-east and Africa.

The tower receives about 7 million visitors every year, with peak summer visits sometimes reaching more than 30,000 people per day.

Update: French authorities confirm that the tower was cleared, but has reopened to visitors as of 3:00 PM local time.