Eiffel Tower emptied due to 'suspicious package

Police evacuated visitors from the Eiffel Tower in Paris today due to a "suspicious package" found at the base of the landmark structure, one of the most visited tourist sites in the world.

The evacuation of some 4,000 people began after an anonymous call was received at about 4:00 pm, police said.

Police were still canvassing the area two hours later, the source said.

This is the fourth bomb scare and evacuation at the historic monument since September. The previous three incidents were all false alerts.

In late February, around 1,700 people were evacuated from the Tower, which was reopened the next day.