'Ticking' promotional gift causes hospital clear-out Down Under!

Melbourne, July 22 : A full-scale emergency clear-out took place in a hospital Down Under after a "ticking" kitchen timer was mistaken for a bomb.

The promotional gift, from a medical company, caused a full-scale emergency at the Queensland hospital.

It all started when a package in the mailroom started beeping.

Fearing that its contents could be a bomb, three floors of Rockhampton Hospital, including the accident and emergency department, were evacuated.

The bomb scare caused fourteen operations to be postponed and the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital's intensive care unit to be put on stand-by to take ICU patients.

After three hours of the incident taking place, the police, who had X-rayed the mailbag, reported that the electronic ticking was from a tiny kitchen timer.

"I guess the best advice came from Queensland Police - if you do send anything electronic through the mail, take the battery out," News.com.au quoted Queensland Health acting district manager Monica Seth as saying.

ANI