Reply #23: Shoe alert shuts New York airport (BBC)

[Ian David]

Shoe alert shuts New York airport
New York's LaGuardia airport has evacuated passengers and grounded flights after a man's shoe triggered a bomb alert during screening.

The man was reportedly let pass through security around 1500 (2000 GMT) despite setting off an alarm for explosives residue and a search was launched.

Officials could not say immediately why the man was allowed to pass through.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the Delta Airlines terminal and departures suspended.


But incoming flights were allowed to land, said Yolande Clark, a spokeswoman for the federal Transport Security Administration.

Ms Clark said the man, who had been selected for secondary screening, afterwards "put on his shoes and exited the area".

However, other reports suggested the suspect had fled the screening area without his shoes.

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4795534.stm