France evacuates Louvre museum, Palace of Versailles after bomb threat

The Palace of Versailles has been evacuated after receiving an anonymous bomb threat online, French police said, AFP reported. The famous palace in western Paris will be closed until at least the end of today.

Palace of Versailles, a tourist attraction in France

Earlier, the management unit of the Louvre Museum in the French capital said it had evacuated visitors and closed the museum after receiving a bomb threat. No incidents occurred and police searched the museum after receiving the warning.

A museum spokesman said that they had received a handwritten message saying there was a risk to the museum and its visitors. As a result, the management decided to evacuate and close the museum for the day, carrying out necessary checks amid France's high alert.

Alarm bells rang throughout the Louvre as the evacuation order was issued. Police sealed off the area and underground passageways. The Louvre is home to many masterpieces of art, including the Mona Lisa. The museum receives between 30,000 and 40,000 visitors a day.

Police patrol near the Louvre museum on October 14.

The French government had previously increased its alert level and deployed 7,000 troops to ensure security following an attack at a school in the northeastern town of Arras on October 13. Authorities said a former student suspected of being radicalized killed a teacher and wounded three others.

Mohammed Moguchkov shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is great) when he was arrested by police. Moguchkov is Russian, born in the Republic of Ingushetia (Russia), a region located in the North Caucasus and has a predominantly Muslim population.

Authorities suspect the incident is linked to the ongoing violence in the Middle East, with President Emmanuel Macron condemning the killing as an act of “Islamist terrorism.” Police have arrested nine other people, including members of Moguchkov’s family, AFP reported.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/phap-so-tan-bao-tang-louvre-cung-dien-versailles-sau-khi-bi-doa-danh-bom-185231014221142019.htm