According to local law enforcement sources an international airport on the Franco-Swiss border was evacuated today due to a bomb threat, just hours before the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The 2024 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in France’s capital city from July 26 to August 11. According to French media, approximately 45,000 police and paramilitary officers, along with 10,000 soldiers and 22,000 private security guards, will be deployed to ensure the safety and security of the opening ceremony, that will be held outside of a stadium for the first time, with athletes parading in boats on the River Seine.
The EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is an international airport located in the administrative commune of Saint-Louis, in the French Alsace region of the Trinational Eurodistrict of Basel. It is situated 4.7 km (2.9 mi) west of the tripoint of France, Germany, and Switzerland, 3.5 km (2.2 mi) northwest of Basel in Switzerland, 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Mulhouse in France, and 46 km (29 mi) south-southwest of Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany. The airport is jointly operated by France and Switzerland, following the regulations set forth in a 1949 international convention.
The Haut-Rhin prefecture officials said that the air hub had to shut down due to security concerns after receiving a bomb threat. They stated that the authorities followed standard protocols, sending in bomb disposal experts to assess the situation.
French officials are currently also looking into a string of arson attacks and cable thefts on the TGV high-speed train network that occurred overnight on Thursday. The authorities have labeled these events as “acts of sabotage” in anticipation of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony scheduled for later on Friday.
Travel disruptions were anticipated for a minimum of 800,000 psssengers. As per the national railway company SNCF, a significant amount of train services had to be rerouted or suspended, and normal traffic flow was not projected to resume before Monday.