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U.S. Air and Space museum evacuated for suspicious package

by Reuters
Wednesday, 26 March 2014 18:55 GMT

(Person found unconscious, adds details)

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - Washington's National Air and Space Museum was evacuated on Wednesday after reports of a suspicious package, and one person was found unconscious in the building, authorities said.

A Washington police bomb squad is investigating the package in one of the museum's galleries, said a Smithsonian Institution spokeswoman. She could not confirm whether the person found unconscious had any connection with the package.

A police spokeswoman said officers have blocked off streets around the museum on the National Mall, just a few blocks from the White House.

The museum is one of the most popular in the U.S. capital. The Smithsonian spokeswoman said the museum had seen an uptick in visitors because of school vacations and the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Scott Malone, Stephen Powell and Gunna Dickson)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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