Paris: Eiffel Tower and Eurostar terminal evacuated following security alerts

In breaking news, Friday evening saw the area surrounding the eiffel tower in Paris cordoned off and people evacuated due to a Security Alert. One man has reportedly been arrested and the alert has been called off, however, the arrest has yet to be officially confirmed. A train leaving the Eurostar terminal was also delayed.

Eiffel Tower in Paris cordoned off in security alert

Tourists were stopped from heading toward the Eiffel Tower in Paris, while those already inside the tower were trapped in elevators or unable to leave the building after a man reportedly started behaving strangely on the second floor. Due to his suspicious behavior, police were called to the scene, leading to the area being cordoned off at approximately 8:00 p.m., while officers with sniffing dogs checked the perimeter.

Tourists trapped inside the Eiffel Tower began posting videos and photos to social media, saying they had been trapped in elevators while police dealt with the incident.

Others posted videos of the Paris police blockading the area surrounding the iconic tower and police vehicles in the streets.

According to the Evening Standard, one Twitter user, Bob Thomas, tweeted to say his party was trapped outside the elevator in one of the legs of the Eiffel Tower and they had been told it would be another 30 minutes before they could leave. Thomas said they were given chairs by staff while they waited.

He later tweeted to say that everything was back to normal and that a man had been “acting weird” on the second floor of the tower. As reported by the Metro, Thomas sent a later tweet to say staff in the tower had told him that the man had been taken into custody.

At the time of the incident, Breaking News Live also took to Twitter to say an incident involving a weapon had been reported at the Eiffel Tower.

However, no mention was made as to the type of weapon the man had in his possession.

The Daily Express also tweeted that one man had been arrested after the Eiffel Tower was evacuated, saying it was due to reports of a “gunman” on the loose in Paris.

While the investigation was ongoing at the tower, the Eurostar terminal at the nearby Gare du Nord railway station in Paris was reportedly also evacuated by police for security reasons.

A Eurostar spokesman later headed to Twitter to say they regretted that check-in and border controls would have to be repeated for travelers on #ES9063 to London for security reasons, adding that there would consequently be a 90-minute delay in departure from Paris.