Paris Gare du Nord Eurostar station evacuated after tourist tries to board London-bound train with World War II relic

Security alert: Passengers queue to enter the station
@jewelspeters
Hatty Collier13 August 2017

A Eurostar passenger sparked an evacuation from a station in Paris after allegedly trying to take a fragment from a Second World War bomb on a London-bound train.

The Gare du Nord transport hub in the French capital was cleared of passengers on Sunday afternoon after one traveller tried to take the military relic onto a Eurostar train.

Witnesses described “chaos” inside the station, while some said they had heard a controlled explosion.

Officials responded to the security alert shortly after 3pm.

Bomb disposal officers were pictured at the scene.

Businessman Martin Adams was on his way to get the 4.13pm service to London when police cordoned off half of the station.

The 31-year-old, who had been returning from a weekend in the French capital with friends, said: "The police told us that there would be a controlled explosion and about 10 minutes later there was, nobody panicked and everybody just got about lining up for their trains.

"A lot of people missed the 4.13pm as a result but Eurostar placed people on later trains.

Passengers disembarking onto the platform from a Eurostar train from London at Gare du Nord station in Paris (file photo)
PA

"My wife heard someone say in the security line that it was a tourist trying to bring a part of an old WWII bomb back through customs.

"This wasn't confirmed to us by Eurostar or security who just referred to 'security issues' when announcing delays."

Lizzie Hill tweeted: “@Eurostar what's happening at Gard du Nord? Semi-evacuated with zero information and chaos. #CustomerService #GareDuNord.”

Durian Singap wrote: “Eurostar Gare du Nord evacuated: when a moron tries to carry a fragment of WWII bomb in his luggage from Paris to London @eurostarfr.”

Martin Adams said: “Evacuated from Gare du Nord in Paris-then heard v. loud controlled explosion after tourist tried to bring WWII bomb back to London.”

Eurostar told passengers check-in had been temporarily halted at the station after somebody carrying a "military relic" tried to board a train.

The high-speed service provider reassured passengers that services had not been cancelled but were "interrupted until further notice".

By 4.50pm, it said that check-in had resumed.

Passengers said they were caught up in huge queues once the station had reopened.

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