The Olympic aquatic center was evacuated on Tuesday after a suspicious object was found inside, Australia’s News.com reports. The object turned out to be either an electrician’s toolbox or a misplaced backpack, according to the Australian site.
News.com passes along several tweets from journalists in Rio. Seven News Network’s Alex Hart says the object was an “unaccompanied electrician’s toolbox,”, while his colleague Daniel Sutton calls it “an abandoned backpack.” Both posted pictures of the people evacuated from the Olympic facility:
Rio's Aquatics Centre evacuated after suspicious package found just 90 minutes before Aussies due to train. pic.twitter.com/2Jq76O89IN
— Alex Hart (@alexhart7) August 2, 2016
— Alex Hart (@alexhart7) August 2, 2016
Rio's aquatic stadium reopened. Package was unaccompanied electricians tool box found during security sweep. pic.twitter.com/APR6vDOwir
— Alex Hart (@alexhart7) August 2, 2016
Local media reporting an abandoned backpack forced evacuation of Rio Aquatic Centre #rio2016 pic.twitter.com/a1x82O17Lj
— Daniel Sutton (@danielsutton10) August 2, 2016
Meanwhile Seven News Network journalist Will Pristel tweeted that the facility had been reopened at about 8:40pm, local time:
Swimmers allowed back into Rio Aquatics stadium after earlier evacuation due to suspicious pkg @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/773SgoeoXy
— Will Pristel (@wpristel7) August 2, 2016
Australian reporters said the evacuation happened about 90 minutes before some of Australia’s Olympic team was scheduled to train in the Olympic venue.
Security has been on high alert in the week leading up to the Olympics. Yesterday, rumors of a different suspicious object and an explosion in the main Olympic stadium took off on Twitter, before local authorities confirmed that they had carried out a controlled explosion using a bomb squad robot in a training drill.
The drill took place during a dress rehearsal inside Maracana Stadium, which will host the opening ceremonies on Friday and the closing ceremonies at the end of the Games.
The old ‘Baby Ruth’ in the pool trick eh? Hah! A calaaic!
Can’t believe there is not video of how that item got into the water…and if not, this is probably just propaganda to bring more attention…
World of fear. World of suspicion.
Atmosphere of fear. Atmosphere of suspicion.
Rumors
Hate
And when there’s a real attack, some insane media are complicit of terrorists by talking hours and hours in breaking news to say nothing while showing insane pictures which make the publicity of the terrorists and by accentuating the fear. They play the game of the terrorists. They help them indirectly. That’s all these crazy guys want. That our democracies transform into societies of fear and permanent suspicion with populists and dangerous racist clowns in power and as ultimate goal a civil war.
Yeah. Stop being suspicious and get used to it. Let’s not talk about it all. Ignore it and it will go away.
We don’t hate athletes.
But why are Hosszu, Seebohm, Larkin and Gatlin in Rio?
Because she posed in Playboy?
The Australians can’t seem to catch a break…
ENOUGH! ENOUGH! ENOUGH! Polluted water…..infectious diseases……fires……drug scandals……corrupt sporting heads……ENOUGH!!!!! I am sick and tired of this. Can we have some GOOD news coming from Rio regarding the Olympics? This is more than enough to make you walk away from this mess.
Relax this is all a tiny fraction of the troubles some people endure everyday . . Sometimes it really is a bomb that explodes – this time just a toolbox. Better safe than sorry .
Idecided to go completely outta range of the Olympics & am heading off tomorrow . One of my better decisions .
Enjoy your break, notty aunty!
I will miss your wits and funny sarcasms.
Maybe Efimova left a bomb
Vlad left his medicine bag.
Hahahaha