Eiffel Tower temporarily evacuated after bomb threat

The Eiffel Tower was briefly evacuated and closed to the public as a precautionary measure after a bomb threat on Saturday.

The three floors of the Paris landmark were cleared because of what turned out to be a false alarm.

SETE, the body which runs the site, said that bomb disposal experts and police were scouring the area, including a restaurant on one of the floors.

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

Visitors were also cleared from the square under the monument shortly after 1.30 pm local time.

The Paris landmark is among the most visited tourist sites in the world.

Construction work on the tower began in January 1887 and was finished on March 31, 1889. It received two million visitors during the World's Fair of 1889.