The Palace of Versailles was evacuated for the sixth time in the past week on Saturday following a bomb alert, AFP learned from police sources and other individuals familiar with the matter.
"For security reasons, the Palace of Versailles is evacuating visitors and will reopen as soon as the checks have been completed," the Palace announced shortly after midday on X (formerly Twitter).
🌍 For security reasons, the Palace of Versailles is evacuating visitors and will reopen as soon as the checks have been completed. Thank you for your understanding. pic.twitter.com/2pNY3WLPxv
— Château de Versailles (@CVersailles) October 21, 2023
The decision to evacuate the site was taken after a bomb alert was issued by the French authorities. Bomb alerts have been multiplying in France ever since the terrorist attack that claimed the life of secondary school teacher Dominique Bernard on 13 October.
At least 11 French airports carried out evacuations on Thursday. 10 were evacuated on Friday, while a total of 18 were targeted by bomb threats.
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Bomb threats have also affected schools and other major tourist sites, including the Louvre Museum in central Paris.
At this time of year roughly 10,000 to 15,000 tourists visit Versailles daily, where the castle of the former King Louis XIV is located.
Bombs alerts have also been multiplying across Belgium ever since the terror attack which killed two Swedish citizens in Brussels on Monday evening.
