West Virginia airport evacuated in explosive alert

Washington, Aug 17: Authorities evacuated a West Virginia airport terminal today after a test on two plastic containers carried by a female passenger showed a possible explosive, officials said.

Transportation Security Administration spokesman Christopher White said around 100 passengers were evacuated from the terminal at Tri-State Airport in Huntington, West Virginia after security checks identified four items containing liquids in a carry-on bag carried by a passenger.

US authorities banned all liquids and gels from carry-on luggage last week after British authorities said they had foiled a plot to bomb several passenger planes using liquid explosives.

''Two containers tested positive for explosive materials,'' White said in a taped statement, adding that the evacuation happened in the late morning and normal aircraft operations had since resumed at the airport.

''The TSA and FBI are currently on site conducting interviews and gathering information,'' White said.

Airport director Larry Salyers told CNN security screeners had detected material in the containers that indicated ''it very well could be a bomb.'' Testing by TSA equipment and dogs indicated the substance in the containers was ''not permissible and very suspect,'' Salyers said.

The containers were removed by a robot to a remote area for further analysis.

Salyers said the passenger, a woman he did not identify, was originally from Jackson, Michigan, and identification papers showed she was born in 1978.

Reuters