Explosion Closes Lax Airport

[jimntx]

Not only are there conflicting stories here, I don't believe that an "exploding flashlight battery" would injure 7 people. Friend of mine working at PHX airport called me to check the news because PHX had been advised that they might have to accept diversions from LAX. Something's fishy here.
Sorry about the subtitle. Meant to say reported on CNN.com.

(CNN) -- Los Angeles International Airport was closed Saturday after two separate security incidents, an airport spokesman said.

In one incident, airport police were responding to reports of a "suspicious person."

The other involved a flashlight with corroded batteries that exploded in Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Seven people were hurt by that explosion.

The Department of Homeland Security had a different account.

The agency said that an explosive detection system machine got a positive reading from a corroded battery in a flashlight.

DHS reported that it was not aware of any explosion or injuries.

The area was evacuated as a precaution.

A LAPD bomb squad remains on the scene.

 

[TWAnr]

Update:

Security Scare Shuts Los Angeles Airport
Sat Sep 4, 2004 04:02 PM ET

By Kevin Krolicki
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A security breach and a flashlight battery explosion shut down four terminals at Los Angeles International Airport for nearly four hours on Saturday, delaying dozens of flights and clogging traffic for miles on surrounding city streets.

The evacuations at three interconnected domestic terminals came on Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest travel holidays of the year, after a person bypassed security by walking up an exit staircase into the passenger area, local officials said.

Authorities were unable to locate the person who triggered the alarm but all passengers in the terminals were evacuated and re-screened.

A separate incident about 30 minutes later shut down the airport's busy international terminal when a plastic flashlight exploded in the bag of a Japanese tourist about to board a Korean Air flight for Tokyo, Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn told a news conference.

Police Chief Bill Bratton added the batteries in the flashlight apparently malfunctioned, causing a small explosion. Eight workers, including five with the Transportation Security Administration and three baggage handlers were taken to the hospital for treatment for minor injuries, Hahn said.

"At this time we don't believe the explosion involved any intentional explosion or explosive device," Hahn said. "But that remains under investigation."

The domestic terminals were evacuated after 7:30 a.m. and authorities later closed off access to the central terminal and blocked off surrounding roads leading into the nation's third-busiest airport.

Officials reopened the domestic terminals and roads shortly before noon. A spokeswoman for United Airlines, which has a large presence in the affected terminals, said arriving and departing flights would be delayed all day.

Reuters.com

I guess that old batteries and CAT scanners do not mix well.