Forgotten mooncakes cause bomb scare

THAILAND: Police in the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung mobilised the bomb squad after a suspicious package was found in a subway station toilet, only to find it contained nothing more dangerous than mooncakes.

A cleaner called police to report the package left on top of a waste bin on Saturday. Part of the station, known for its stained glass ceiling, was cordoned off and explosives experts were called in.

TV pictures showed a police officer in a full protective suit entering the toilet carrying specialist equipment while other officers waited outside with more gear. The officer then emerged carrying a bright blue cardboard box full of mooncakes, pastries with sweet fillings traditionally eaten at the Mid-Autumn Festival.

“It was x-rayed first to see what it was and whether there was any chemical or electrical reaction,” local police station chief Cheng Ming-chung told TV.

“Someone must have put it down to use the toilet and forgotten it when they left,” he said, adding that the police would continue to investigate.

Taipei, Monday, Reuters