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A St. Louis-area hospital is diverting new patients and two major highways through the region adjacent to the hospital are closed to traffic following reports of two “suspicious packages” being found near the hospital, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting.
At 12:10 p.m. Central time, Mercy Hospital, in suburban Creve Couer, issued a statement via CBS News St. Louis that traffic around the area was being diverted.
“Two potentially explosive devices have been identified on campus at Mercy Hospital St. Louis today. Both are away from the building; no patients or co-workers are in harm’s way at this time. Law enforcement is on site and investigating the devices. Out of an abundance of caution, and in order to ensure the safety of our patients and co-workers, the hospital emergency department is diverting patients to other facilities. More information will be provided as it is available from law enforcement.”
Specifically, the two “explosive devices” were found near the hospital’s helicopter pad, which is near the entrance to the building.
Interstates 270 and 64 have been closed in both directions as police investigate the scene. The nearby intersection of 270 and 64, which ordinarily would be choked with midday traffic, is empty.
Bomb squad set to detonate suspicious packages near Mercy Hospital, Interstate 270 closed https://t.co/hZ1mJ2SdWc via @stltoday
— Bob Rose (@brosepd) June 13, 2016
The St. Louis County Bomb Squad is planning to detonate the devices, according to KTVI-TV (St. Louis). Police in bomb-proof suits and a bomb-detonating robot have been observed in and around the hospital.
UPDATE: At 1:17 p.m. local time, according to a follow-up report by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, police had detonated at least one of the packages. It still remains unclear what type of explosive was found in the package.
The Missouri Highway Patrol has declined to comment on the developing situation. Meanwhile, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon would only say that he has “been briefed on the situation.”
Briefed on situation in Creve Coeur. Have directed Missouri State Highway Patrol to work with local law enforcement
— Governor Jay Nixon (@GovJayNixon) June 13, 2016
This is a developing story. More information about the suspicious packages found at a St. Louis hospital will be provided as it becomes available.
[Image via Gts/Shutterstock]
St. Louis Hospital Diverting Patients, Major Highways Closed After ‘Suspicious Package’ Arrives is an article from: The Inquisitr News
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