Paris, Aug. 12: The Eiffel Tower was closed to the public on Saturday after being evacuated as a precautionary measure following a bomb threat, a Paris police source said.

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

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

Visitors were cleared from both the three floors and the square under the monument shortly after 1.30pm (11.30 GMT).

The Paris landmark is among the most visited tourist sites in the world.

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.-Agencies