February 25, 2015
The search is mounting for the origin of several drones seen hovering over Paris landmarks and the U.S. Embassy for the second consecutive night.
On Tuesday evening, five drone sightings were recorded in central Paris, including near the Invalides military museum, Place de la Concorde and two of the old city gates, French media reported to the BBC. The previous night, drones were spotted near the Eiffel Tower and above the U.S. embassy, which is close to the Place de la Concorde.
Flying drones over Paris at night is illegal, and daytime flights require authorization from the city, the BBC reported. Some of the latest drone flights have been captured on film, and an investigation into their origin is underway.
BBC Paris correspondent Huge Schofield said there is no imminent threat to
the area, as the type of drones spotted appear to be small, inexpensive shop-bought varieties that are not strong enough to deliver a significant payload of
explosives. Still, the recent Paris
attacks call for heightened awareness.
The more likely risk from these drones is that one might get out of control, crash onto a street and injure a pedestrian or cause a car accident, Schofield said. That is the main reason why flying drones is banned over populated areas of France.
Read the full BBC article here.
