London’s Gatwick Airport evacuated part of its south terminal on Friday as authorities dispatched an explosives disposal team.

Local police said a suspected contraband was found in the luggage, Reuters reported. The airport terminal has been evacuated and a security cordon has been set up.

“A large section of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident.” The airport said In a post on X

“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is in place. The safety and security of our passengers and staff is our top priority. We are working hard to resolve this issue as soon as possible,” he said. added.

A loud explosion was heard at the American embassy.

Progress comes hours later. A loud explosion was heard Near the US Embassy in central London.

British police said they detonated a controlled bomb after discovering a suspicious package near the US embassy in south London.

“We can confirm that the ‘loud explosion’ reported in the area shortly before was a controlled explosion by officers,” London’s Metropolitan Police said on X. “Inquiries are ongoing and the cordon will remain in place for the time being.” “

The suspicious package was found in an area near the south bank of the River Thames. Several civilians were evacuated from the building. They were initially locked inside for more than half an hour by automatic doors.

The US on X said police had closed a road near the building “out of an abundance of caution”.

Photos and videos posted online show a heavy presence of police and fire services working to contain the situation after the early morning “security alert”.

The US moved its embassy from Mayfair in central London to a 12-storey purpose-built glass cube in London’s Nine Elms in 2018, partly for security reasons, according to Reuters.