Man with bag on runway causes Rome security scare

ROME, July 3 (Reuters) A man with a rucksack wandered onto the runway of Rome's second biggest airport. Causing a security alert and cancellation of flights until today morning, airport sources said.

The sources described the man as an Ethiopian in a state of confusion but gave no further details of his identity. Some Italian media said yesterday he was Eritrean.

Alerted by the pilot of a postal plane who spotted the man on the runway, police sealed off Ciampino airport, stopped the man and carried out a controlled explosion on his rucksack, which turned out not to have contained any explosives.

The airport reopened at 7.40 a.m. local time after five flights by Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair were cancelled.

REUTERS PD HT1618