Newark Airport’s Terminal C was partially evacuated Monday due to a security breach that caused “significant alarm” among airport travelers, officials said.
A woman allegedly bolted through a security checkpoint and into the concourse before she was detained by law enforcement, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
Some passengers “self-evacuated” onto the tarmac amid the commotion, TSA said.
The incident occurred at around 10:20 a.m., according to the Port Authority, whose officers responded to the incident.
“While there was no bomb threat nor shooting that occurred, the disturbance caused significant public alarm to ticketed passengers who consequently ran from the disturbance and exited the terminal through various means,” the Port Authority Police Department said in a statement.
The scare impacted three security gates, which have since resumed normal operations, PAPD said. The female instigator is being evaluated at University Hospital, cops said.
Photos posted on Twitter showed travelers milling about outside the airport.
“Terminal C evacuated just as I was about to head through TSA,” tweeted user @TheMattSaffer. “People screaming, running, falling down steps….some people were mid check-in and are barefoot outside. 100% total chaos.”
Another user replied that his flight was delayed on the runway because “passengers who evacuated from terminal c were on the runway behind our plane.”
United Airlines — the sole operator at Terminal C — declined to comment.
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