There was “no threat” to the public Monday after a bag combusted at Midway International Airport when it was run over by a luggage vehicle.
Chicago police said a bag was being loaded onto an airplane about 12:18 p.m. when it “exploded” without causing injuries.
Police sent a bomb squad to investigate and declared the scene safe shortly before 1 p.m., police said.
The preliminary investigation showed the cause might have been a cellphone battery or charger, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
He said the bag was accidentally run over by a luggage vehicle and did not combust or explode on its own.
Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said he didn’t know if the word “explosion” was accurate.
He said there was a sound, possibly a “pop,” after the luggage came off of the conveyance vehicle, but there was no fire when crews arrived.
Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Karen Pride said it was her understanding that there was no bomb threat. She declined to comment further.
