Paris station bomb alert turns out to be hoax

PARIS - A bomb alert that briefly suspended traffic via the Saint-Lazare train station in Paris turned out to be a hoax, the third such incident in two weeks, Paris Metro officials said Monday.

An official working at the station confirmed that the alert was a hoax and police found nothing suspicious at the site, Xinhua reported.

Traffic was gradually returning to normal, but there were not many passengers in sight.

Police, however, did not elaborate on how the bomb alert was created but said a probe was under way.

Saint-Lazare is a major station in the Paris Metro. Evacuation of the station after the alert led to suspension of trains on five lines for at least 30 minutes in the afternoon, according to officials.

This was the third bomb alert in the country in two weeks.

Police had to evacuate the iconic Eiffel Tower Sep 15 after an anonymous caller said a bomb had been placed on the popular tourist attraction, according to France Info radio.

A few days later, an intelligence report said an Al Qaeda woman suicide bomber was on the prowl and may target the Paris Metro.