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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Explosives alert closes US port | Explosives alert closes US port |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Officials in Morehead City in the US state of North Carolina have shut a major port after containers carrying explosive material were punctured. | Officials in Morehead City in the US state of North Carolina have shut a major port after containers carrying explosive material were punctured. |
| Police have told people to evacuate the area. Some are said to be leaving. | Police have told people to evacuate the area. Some are said to be leaving. |
| Morehead City Police Chief Wes Lail said the chemical involved was pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) - a powerful explosive. | Morehead City Police Chief Wes Lail said the chemical involved was pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) - a powerful explosive. |
| The Morehead port - one of the deepest on the US East coast - is a major entry point for commodities. | The Morehead port - one of the deepest on the US East coast - is a major entry point for commodities. |
| The cause of Tuesday's incident was not immediately clear. | The cause of Tuesday's incident was not immediately clear. |
| A police spokesman told Reuters news agency: "As a precaution, they have evacuated the port area... everything indicates this was by accident." | A police spokesman told Reuters news agency: "As a precaution, they have evacuated the port area... everything indicates this was by accident." |
| PETN was the substance a Nigerian man allegedly used to try to destroy a Northwest flight as it was landing in Detroit on Christmas Day. | |
| Reports say there is no sense of panic in Morehead city. | |
| Resident Drew Hall told the Associated Press news agency by phone: "Everybody is going about their business. Why get nervous? Things happen. You can't freak out in times like this." | |
| Are you in the area? Were you evacuated? Send us your comments using the form below. | Are you in the area? Were you evacuated? Send us your comments using the form below. |
| A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. | A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |