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A flight operated by United Airlines en route to Los Angeles was rerouted to Chicago due to a reported bomb threat caused by a message found in the aircraft’s restroom.
According to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the plane arrived at Chicago O’Hare International Airport safely at approximately 7:40am on Wednesday. All passengers were safely removed from the aircraft.
The flight on the Boeing 787 took off from Newark Liberty International Airport and was en route to Los Angeles International Airport when the crew reported a “security concern”.
After all passengers were evacuated, the airplane underwent a search at a distant spot in O’Hare Airport.
According to a preliminary report from the police, as reported by CBS, a message was discovered in the restroom indicating that the plane was going to explode. The news source also disclosed that a canine unit trained to detect explosives found one bag that appeared suspicious, and a robot was used to relocate it.
According to a report from CBS, the police are interrogating the passenger who checked the bag. An airline insider stated that a dog detected a scent from the threatening note and the bag.
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The plane arrived safely at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport at approximately 7:40am on Wednesday, according to local time.
The Associated Press holds the copyright for this material, which is reserved until 2023.
According to a statement provided to The Independent, a representative from FBI Chicago confirmed that there is currently no immediate danger to the general public.
This morning, the FBI-Chicago and local authorities reacted to an aircraft issue at O’Hare Airport. The statement stated that there is currently no evidence of a potential danger to the safety of the public or the airport.
A passenger on the flight reported that they were instructed to leave all personal items on the plane and were escorted back to the terminal by police. According to CBS, the passengers’ luggage was being inspected.
The passenger stated that they were being brought back to a terminal and assumed that their bags would be searched and they might be questioned. They also mentioned that they were required to leave all of their belongings on the plane and were uncertain about the next steps of the incident.
One of the passengers recounted the process of evacuating and mentioned that he had to abandon all of his belongings on the aircraft.
A passenger informed CBS that two hours into the flight, the announcement was made for an emergency landing in Chicago without any explanation. The passengers were not allowed to leave their seats, and upon landing, it was revealed that a bomb threat was written on one of the bathroom mirrors.
A representative from United Airlines informed The Independent that the flight was scheduled to leave for Los Angeles in the afternoon on Wednesday.
Source: independent.co.uk
