Loud Blast Heard Near Rio Olympics Cycling Course Was Controlled Explosion
Officials say the destroyed bag may have belonged to a homeless man, but protocol requires any unattended objects to be destroyed.
An anti-bomb squad at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro detonated an unattended backpack near the end of the cycling course on Saturday, a spokeswoman for the public security department said.
Officials expect the bag may have belonged to a homeless man, but protocol requires any unattended objects to be destroyed, she said. The controlled blast occurred at 1:45 P.M. local time, the spokeswoman said.
The controlled explosion caused a loud blast that was heard near the finishing line of the men's cycling road race, a Reuters witness said.
In recent days, bomb squad members have detonated a number of unattended bags in controlled explosions in Rio.