By Raul Mora
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES – A noise detection instrument at a Los Angeles International Airport terminal triggered an evacuation today after someone reported seeing a suspicious container in shrubs near an entrance.
The international terminal was evacuated for about an hour while the object, used to monitor sound levels at the airport, was examined, said police Officer Guillermo Campos.
“We quickly determined it was not dangerous,” Campos said. The measuring device was apparently left in the planter by an employee, he said.
As the terminal was being cleared, hundreds of travelers leaving the building as police cars and the bomb squad filled the area.
Other airport buildings remained open for arrivals and departures during the emergency. No flights were diverted, although some may have been delayed, officials said.
The evacuation came a day after the FBI’s most recent warning about possible terrorist activity in the United States.
The agency warned of a possible attack “on or around” Tuesday, based on information obtained from interviews by U.S. officials with detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in Afghanistan.
“We certainly want to err on the side of caution,” police Lt. Horace Frank said.
The same terminal was evacuated on Dec. 25 after someone reported finding a “suspicious package” that turned out to be wrapped Christmas presents.
Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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