NY’s Times Square evacuated in car bomb scare

US: Police evacuated the heart of New York’s packed Times Square area late Saturday on suspicion that a parked vehicle contained a bomb. New York Police Department (NYPD) Detective John Sweeney said the bomb squad was called to inspect a suspicious vehicle that was on fire in the square.

“There seemed to be smoke coming out of the car. Now they’re removing stuff out of the car to check what it is,” he told AFP. Sweeney said the bomb squad was examining the suspicious items in the car and would determine whether they amounted to an improvised explosive device.

“They didn’t find a bomb in the car, but they found some other things,” he said.

There was no explosion and no one was injured in the incident.

The White House said President Barack Obama was briefed “on the excellent work by the NYPD in relation to the incident in Times Square” at about 10:45 pm Saturday (0245 GMT Sunday).

“The president commended the quick action by the NYPD and asked John Brennan to communicate to NYPD that the federal government is prepared to provide support,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.

New York, Sunday, AFP