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Denver International Airport Partially Evacuated Amid Possible Security Threat

Planes at Denver International Airport / AP
March 22, 2016

A section of the main terminal at Denver International Airport was evacuated Tuesday afternoon amid a possible security threat, though police eventually determined that a suspicious package posed no threat.

The airport announced the partial evacuation on Twitter at about 2:30 P.M. local time. Denver Police were on the scene investigating a suspicious package, the airport said later. The police department’s bomb squad was evaluating the package, which was found in the main terminal.

Police eventually determined that there was no threat, and the portion of the terminal was reopened to the public around 4:45 P.M.

Vehicle traffic was also blocked from the west side of the terminal during the investigation. Flights were continuing, though the airport noted that delays were possible. Affected ticket counters included American Airlines, Aero Mexico, Air Canada, Lufthansa, and British Airways.

The evacuation took place hours after coordinated explosions killed over 30 people and wounded nearly 190 in Brussels. Two of the blasts occurred at Brussels Airport and one at a subway station. The terror attacks have escalated security concerns in Europe and the United States. 

According to the Denver Post, officials at Denver International said earlier Tuesday that neither the Transportation Security Administration nor the Department of Homeland Security had instructed the airport to ramp up security measures following the attacks in the Belgian capital. 

This post will be updated as further information becomes available.