Traffic & Transit
Alarms Triggered At BWI Airport As Security Checkpoint Closes
Federal officials at BWI Airport said Monday that alarms were triggered by an item in a bag, and one security checkpoint briefly closed.
![Passengers said alarms sounded at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport Monday afternoon.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/getty/714975/20200210/032034/styles/patch_image/public/gettyimages-82563187___10151922710.jpg)
HANOVER, MD β A Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was closed for a few minutes Monday afternoon after something in a passenger's bag set off an alarm, authorities told Patch.
Lisa Farbstein, spokesperson for the TSA at BWI, told Patch that an organic item in a passenger's carry-on bag triggered an alarm.
"The traveler inadvertently picked up her bag and left the checkpoint before TSA officers were able to open it to determine what triggered the alarm," Farbstein said. "TSA officers were able to locate the woman at her gate and returned her to the checkpoint to complete the screening process. The bag contained an item that triggered the alarm. TSA officers were able to clear the item for the flight."
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The Terminal B checkpoint was temporarily closed for six minutes until the situation was resolved.
Nothing dangerous was found in the bag, Farbstein said.
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Someone in the airport tweeted shortly before 3 p.m. Monday that alarms were sounding at the airport.
"They didn't want anyone to move and wouldn't let any leave. The alarms are still all going off but they're letting people leave now," tweeted Michael Conway.
Patch will update this article with more information as it become available.
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