Franco-Swiss airport evacuated amid security fears ahead of Olympics ceremony
The Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport, a Franco-Swiss airport, was evacuated for security reasons on Friday. This comes just hours after the French rail network experienced disruptions due to arson attacks ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. The airport's official statement confirmed the evacuation and closure of the terminal for safety reasons. This is not an isolated incident as several French airports, including EuroAirport, faced evacuations last year following a series of fake bomb threats.
Arson attacks disrupt French rail network
The evacuation of the Basel-Mulhouse EuroAirport coincided with French authorities' search for those responsible for arson attacks on the high-speed train network. The attacks have caused significant disruption to travel, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. The airport, located on the French side of the border near Basel, served eight million passengers in 2023. Meanwhile, Eurostar passengers traveling from London to Paris were advised by The Guardian to postpone trips if possible due to these disruptions.
French Prime Minister condemns arson attacks
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal condemned the arson attacks on X as "prepared and coordinated acts of sabotage." He stated that the rail attacks targeted three main routes to Paris with an aim to "block the high-speed train network." The French rail operator SNCF reported that three night-time arson attacks had destroyed cabling boxes at strategic junctions around its network. A fourth attempted act of vandalism was thwarted by rail workers who spotted intruders in the early hours of Friday.
Transport Minister expresses concern over disruptions
French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete also expressed his condemnation on social media platform X, stating that "Coordinated malicious acts targeted several TGV lines last night and will seriously disrupt traffic until this weekend." He added that these criminal actions would compromise the vacation departures of many French people. Vergriete thanked the SNCF teams for their efforts to restore traffic conditions as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, EuroAirport updated its website stating that it had reopened and flight operations were gradually restarting.
