UK police stated Friday officers had carried out a managed explosion after a suspicious bundle which turned out to be a “hoax gadget” was discovered exterior the US embassy in London.
The capital’s Metropolitan Police drive performed the explosion after establishing cordons close to the high-security website in 9 Elms, simply south of the River Thames.
“We will affirm that the ‘loud bang’ reported within the space a short while in the past was a managed explosion carried out by officers,” the drive stated in a put up on X.
“Preliminary indications are that the merchandise was a hoax gadget,” it added.
The US embassy stated earlier in a put up on the identical platform that native authorities have been investigating “a suspicious bundle” exterior the constructing.
It added that police had closed a close-by highway “out of an abundance of warning.”
In one other signal that UK authorities have been on excessive alert, Gatwick Airport stated a “giant half” of its south terminal had been evacuated whereas a “safety incident” was investigated.
The constructing was closed for greater than 4 hours earlier than the airport launched an announcement at round 1445 GMT stating that the “south terminal is reopening to workers and can be open to passengers shortly”.
“The sooner safety alert has now been resolved and cleared by police,” it stated.
Police earlier deployed a bomb disposal unit as a precaution after the “discovery of a suspected prohibited merchandise in baggage”.
Various flights to and from the south terminal have been cancelled, together with not less than 16 departures and 13 arrivals by British Airways.
Different flights continued to depart however have been solely carrying passengers who had handed by means of safety earlier than the evacuation.
AFP
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