Eiffel Tower evacuated following anonymous bomb threat

PARIS – Police say the Eiffel Tower has been evacuated after an anonymous caller phoned in a bomb threat.

A Paris police official said Saturday that nearly 1,400 people were evacuated following a request from tower operators after the warning Saturday. Police then searched the monument with sniffer dogs for possible explosives, and set up a broad security perimeter.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

French authorities have stepped up counterterrorism measures in recent weeks amid heightened concern about threats to France over its military campaign against al-Qaida-linked fighters in Mali which began more than two months ago.

The tower is occasionally evacuated because of such warnings – at least once last year and twice in 2011. The 324-meter (1,063-foot) tower is one of the world’s top tourist attractions, with millions of visitors a year.