Thousands of Roman Catholic pilgrims have been evacuated from the heart of Lourdes in south-western France after a bomb threat, church officials are reported as saying.
The French news agency AFP says the threat came as 30,000 worshippers were in the town to celebrate the annual Feast of the Assumption.
Lourdes is famous for what many Roman Catholics believe was a vision of the Virgin Mary by a young local girl in 1858.
The sanctuary at Lourdes which houses the shrine or grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes is visited each year by six million believers.
"A bomb warning was received at the police station, announcing that four bombs were going to go off at around 1500 (1400GMT) in the sanctuaries," a church press officer Adias told AFP just
He said the evacuation was taking place calmly.
Lourdes tv is down as well which hardly ever happens
TV Lourdes - Live
Probably a hoax but how low will people stoop??
The French news agency AFP says the threat came as 30,000 worshippers were in the town to celebrate the annual Feast of the Assumption.
Lourdes is famous for what many Roman Catholics believe was a vision of the Virgin Mary by a young local girl in 1858.
The sanctuary at Lourdes which houses the shrine or grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes is visited each year by six million believers.
"A bomb warning was received at the police station, announcing that four bombs were going to go off at around 1500 (1400GMT) in the sanctuaries," a church press officer Adias told AFP just
He said the evacuation was taking place calmly.
Lourdes tv is down as well which hardly ever happens
TV Lourdes - Live
Probably a hoax but how low will people stoop??