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Frankfurt airport evacuated after security breach

A departures hall at Frankfurt airport has been evacuated after a passenger caused a security breach

31 August 2016, 11:59am
2 min read
A departures hall at Frankfurt airport was evacuated following a security breach
A departures hall at Frankfurt airport was evacuated following a security breach

Frankfurt’s main airport has been evacuated due to a bomb scare, after a passenger ran off while being scanned for explosives at a security check.

The woman is thought to have disappeared while being scanned at a security point. 

Two sections of Terminal 1 are now on lockdown, after the woman accessed a restricted area.

According to international media, police are now in the process of hunting down the woman. They are reportedly unsure as to whether the breach was "accidental or planned". 

After clearing the terminal, police have not discovered any suspect packages.

It is unknown as to when the terminal will re-open. 

The airport, which is the biggest in Germany and the third-busiest in Europe in terms of passenger numbers, tweeted: "Today at Frankfurt Airport a passenger entered the security area before the security check had been completed.

"Therefore the German federal police cleared departure hall A as a preventative measure. Passengers will be rechecked prior to departure."

Passengers said they were not told the reason for the evacuation, and rumours circulated that a person tested positive for explosive material. As a result, earlier reports cited a bomb threat as the reason for the evacuation.

However, German news agency Der Spiegel reports that the evacuation was carried out as a precaution, quoting a spokesperson from the federal police.

“All passengers will have to leave the area and be checked again. This is a question of safety," the spokesperson said.

“The main aim of the evacuation is to ensure that the terminal is secure. There is no bomb threat," he added.

A spokesperson from Fraport, the airport operator, said that the incident could lead to flight delays.

The airport has advised travellers to check the status of their flight and to allow for extra time to reach the airport due to the police action.

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