White Powder Found at Liberty Bell Pavilion: Attraction Shut Down

Update: 4:23pm PST - The white powder has now been taken away for further testing, and the surrounding area is expected to reopen shortly.

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A Balloon Containing or Covered In Suspicious White Powder Has Been Found Near the Liberty Bell Pavilion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A small balloon type object containing or covered in a white powder has been found in the doorway of the Liberty Bell Pavilion according to KYW NewsRadio, and it has forced the closure and evacuation of the famous and busy tourist attraction.

Visitors were kicking around the object, described as a 'blue-balloon-shape container' and then a security guard noticed some white powder either coming out of it or covering it. Police responded quickly, but it is not known at this time what the white powder is or if it is dangerous. The FBI has conducted initial tests on the powder and it has tested negative for anything explosive or anything radiological, but has tested postive for an organic substance.

Hundreds of tourists have been turned away from the scene and a large section of the area has been shut down. This includes the sidewalks along Independence Mall and the roads along 6th Street south of Market. Horse-drawn carriages have also been relocated away from the incident.

We will update this post when more information becomes available.