The famed Eiffel Tower in Paris was evacuated two times on Saturday due to bomb threats, according to French media BFM.
The tower’s three floors as well as the courtyard below were cleared of tourists for over two hours early Saturday afternoon while authorities assessed the validity of the threat. Police quickly evacuated the tower and initially established a security perimeter at around 12:15 p.m.
The landmark was reopened around 3:30 p.m. local time before being evacuated again at about 7:30 p.m.
“This is a usual procedure in this kind of situation, which is rare nevertheless,” a monument spokesperson told the French news agency.
The last bomb threat to clear the tower for that long came in September 2020, they said.
The tower has closed for the evening but reopened after the second evacuation.
The Eiffel Tower, in the heart of Paris overlooking the Seine River, is one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions. The site welcomed over 5.8 million visitors in 2022.