Security alert in New York station on 9/11 anniversary

0 Comments | AFP, September, 2006

NEW YORK (AFP) — Officials evacuated one of New York's biggest stations over a security alert, just minutes before commemorations began for the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. In a fresh reminder of the constantly-elevated state of security in the city, passengers and staff at Pennsylvania Station were ordered out of the building after a suspicious bag was found, officials said.

The alert turned out to be a false alarm and the station was quickly reopened, causing only a minimum of disruption. "At about 7:55 am (1155 GMT) this morning we got a report of a suspicious package in Penn Station and at 8:27 am we evacuated the station and ceased rail operations," a spokesman for national rail provider Amtrak said. "At 8:39 am we did get all cleared. It was simply a...