[ad_1]
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Albuquerque International Port Sunport was closed about two hours earlier today after a suspicious and unattended suitcase was discovered this morning.
The spokesman for the Albuquerque police, Simon Drobik, said that a bomb sniffer dog attached to the airport security had indicated a suitcase left unattended on a luggage carousel containing possibly explosives at 9:17.
The basement of the airport was evacuated and an area on the upper floor above the suspect suitcase was cordoned off.
All roads leading to the airport have also been closed.
Drobik said that the APD explosives team had used a robot to retrieve and investigate the bag. It was made safe around 11:30.
The suitcase in question came from the eastern United States and Drobik said the police were in contact with his owner.
"We would always prefer to have all the resources, a bomb squad, all the people involved to provide security, rather than not taking an event seriously," Drobik said.
Sunport spokeswoman Stephanie Kitt said she did not know how many flights had been affected by the closure.
She added that she expected additional airport staff to be allocated to a possible increase in the number of passengers arriving on their flights.
"Everything is working normally," she said around noon.
Previously, dozens of people who can not get to the airport have scattered on the sidewalks of southeast Yale Boulevard, waiting for the street to be reopened.
"Our flight is supposed to leave in a minute," said Shara Anaya of Albuquerque.
She and her husband, Steven Anaya, traveled to Dallas to visit their son.
Anaya stated that she had not been able to reach anyone at the terminal but had informed Southwest Airlines of the situation.
Source link
