Security alert prompts Eiffel Tower evacuation

A security alert Saturday prompted the evacuation of three floors of the Eiffel Tower in central Paris, France's most emblematic symbol which drew 6.2 million visitors last year.

SETE, the body which runs the site, said bomb disposal experts as well as police were scouring the area, including a restaurant located on one of the floors.

"It's a usual procedure in this kind of situation which however is rare," a spokeswoman said.

Visitors were evacuated from both the three floors and the square under the monument shortly after 1:30 pm (1130 GMT).

Construction work on the tower began in January 1887 and was finished on March 31, 1889. It received two million visitors during the World's Fair of 1889.