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MELBOURNE - A passenger who bypassed airport guards without proper luggage screening caused a security alert at Melbourne Airport today, forcing the evacuation of a domestic terminal and grounding aircraft.
"Somebody went through and they hadn't been screened properly. Unfortunately it happens from time to time," Melbourne Airport spokesman Geoffrey Conaghan told local radio.
A spokesman for Australian flag carrier Qantas said the alert, which delayed domestic flights by an hour, was caused by a passenger entering the terminal with an unscreened parcel. All passengers were taken off aircraft and their luggage was re-screened through airport X-rays, Melbourne Airport said.
"Qantas terminal security people were just taking the standard response of having to empty the concourses and re-screening everybody, which causes inconvenience to passengers, obviously, but it had to be followed," Conaghan said.
The incident did not affect international flights leaving Melbourne, which is Australia's second-largest city.
- REUTERS
