Paris police barricade Eiffel Tower after bomb threat

Paris police have blockaded the area around the Eiffel Tower after a phone-in bomb threat.

Police cars and tape surrounded the streets below the tower and the bridge stretching across the Seine River to Trocadero Plaza. Some tourists were still walking in the area, but it was unclear if any were still inside the tower on Wednesday.

Two police officers at the scene tell The Associated Press that the operation was the result of a phone-in bomb threat. Eiffel Tower management did not respond to requests for comment.

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.

— AP