Washington, May 3: Hours after a car bombing plot was foiled in New York City, a microwave oven resembling a pipe bomb created panic momentarily disrupting a marathon in Pittsburgh and forcing a bomb squad to rush to the scene, the police said on Monday.
The suspicious contents of the white microwave — which looked like a pipe bomb — was brought to the notice of the police officers by a passerby who discovered it on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Monday.
A bomb squad was rushed to the site which was just a couple blocks from the race’s finish line. The bomb squad used a robot to dismantle the device and render it harmless. A small boom was heard, and remnants of ravioli (a kind of pasta) could be seen near the detonation site.
“Based on what was seen inside (the microwave) and the preliminary findings of the bomb techs, we don’t believe there were any explosive materials,” acting police Cmdr. Kevin Kraus was quoted as saying by the paper. “We’re trying to determine who put it there, when, and if it was a hoax with intent to disrupt the marathon,” he said.
The police shuts down access to area. The last portion of the marathon route was shifted to other place after the leaders crossed the finish line. These steps were taken to “err on the side of caution,” police Sgt. James Kohnen said.
The bomb squad X-rayed the microwave and found contents “that were definitely questionable and highly suspicious,” Mr Kraus said, though he wouldn’t elaborate. Mr Kraus would not disclose what was inside of the microwave but said the police is still examining it.
Traffic was resumed in the area after the bomb squad declared there was no threat and removed the microwave.
The bomb scare came less than 24 hours after a vehicle containing several explosive devices was found in New York City’s Times Square, prompting the police to close parts of the area for about 10 hours.