The Louvre museum in Paris was evacuated following a bomb threat, in the midst of elevated security concerns in France.
As a written warning prompted the closure of the highly frequented museum on Saturday, a multitude of visitors, including families with children, could be observed exiting the expansive structure located in central Paris along the banks of the River Seine.
Alarms sounded throughout the building during the evacuation.
At 11 am, the evacuation order was issued, resulting in an influx of tourists exiting the subterranean shopping center situated beneath the iconic glass pyramid of the Louvre.
A museum representative stated that this action was taken in response to the government's decision to elevate the security status of France to a high level following a tragic school stabbing incident involving a suspected extremist.
“The Louvre received a written message stating that there was a risk to the museum and its visitors”, they said after announcing the closure on social media. “We have decided ... to evacuate and close it for the day, while we carry out the necessary checks”.
The Louvre's communication service also confirmed that there were no reported injuries. Videos shared on the internet depicted individuals exiting the premises, with some hurrying and others pausing to capture photographs.
The Louvre, renowned for housing iconic artworks such as the Mona Lisa, stands as the world's most-visited art gallery, drawing in a daily crowd of 30,000 to 40,000 visitors.
This occurrence followed the French government's decision to elevate the threat alert level and deploy 7,000 troops to bolster security following the school attack that transpired on Friday. French authorities have disclosed that a former student, suspected of radicalization, fatally wounded a teacher and injured three others before being apprehended.
