Houston, May 05: The US police and bomb squad have cordoned off parts of Houston’s international airport, after a ruptured, smoking suitcase triggered a bomb scare.
The suspect luggage was found aboard a KLM flight from Amsterdam on Tuesday following its landing at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
A baggage handler carried the fuming suitcase away from the plane to the terminal and called the emergency services.
Bomb squad officials and police arrived at the scene minutes later, shutting-off parts of the airport to examine the remains of the baggage.
Investigators then announced that the smoke and damage were caused by an external heat source and not the contents of the bag.
“We determined that this was an accidental event. This was not a criminal act,” Houston Police’s Assistant Chief J.P. Trevino said.
Police officials have also questioned the bag’s owner and said they would return all his belongings that are salvageable.
There were no reports of any injuries.
According to airport officials, flight schedules and operations at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport were not disrupted.
——-Agencies