Eiffel Tower evacuated after phone-in bomb threat

PARIS (AP) -- The Eiffel Tower was evacuated Wednesday after a phone-in bomb threat, and police have blockaded the surrounding area.

Police cars and tape surrounded the streets below the tower and the bridge stretching across the Seine River to Trocadero Plaza.

The Eiffel Tower's operating company said the evacuation started around 12:15 p.m. local time. Some tourists were still walking in the area.

The 131-year-old tower gets about 25,000 tourists daily in normal years, but visits are down this year because of coronavirus travel restrictions. While the Eiffel Tower is scheduled to be open every day, it occasionally closes because of suicide threats, bomb threats or labor strikes.