Key Paris landmarks cleared as bomb threats trigger evacuations

Several buildings in Paris were evacuated on February 20 as police launched operations following suspected bomb threats sent to authorities, according to informed sources, cited by French media.

The warnings reportedly came in the form of multiple emails containing threats to detonate explosives at various locations across the French capital. Law enforcement officials received at least one alert at around 6:00 p.m. concerning the possible presence of explosive devices at several sites.

Among the locations evacuated were the Montparnasse Tower and the Sciences Po Paris campus. Subsequent inspections found no explosive devices at either site. The security checks were conducted by officers from the Paris Police Prefecture, supported by specialised units and sniffer dogs. A police source said that, as a precautionary measure, several institutions requested evacuations while verification procedures were carried out.

The Montparnasse Tower, a 210-meter office skyscraper completed in 1973, remains the only high-rise tower located in central Paris. The 59-storey building, situated in the city’s 15th arrondissement, is known for its panoramic observation deck offering unobstructed views of landmarks including the Eiffel Tower.

Earlier in the week, the headquarters of the left-wing political movement La France Insoumise was also evacuated after receiving a bomb threat, according to the party’s national coordinator, Manuel Bompard.

By Tamilla Hasanova