NC port shut down, evacuations urged after containers with explosive material are punctured

NC port closed after containers are punctured

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The mayor of a coastal North Carolina town says a forklift operator accidentally punctured at least one container filled with a powerful explosive, forcing a port to shut down.

Morehead City Mayor Jerry Jones says the material is a chemical commonly known as PETN, but it’s not clear what form it was in. The Morehead port was shut down and people near it were urged to leave. No one was hurt.

PETN is the substance authorities say was part of a device a Nigerian man tried to use to bring down a Detroit-bound Northwest flight on Christmas Day.

But Jones says the damage Tuesday appeared to be an accident and there were no concerns about terrorism.

North Carolina State Ports Authority spokeswoman Karen Fox says she does not know where the shipment originated or where it was headed.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) — Officials shut down a North Carolina port and urged people to leave the area Tuesday after nine containers with highly explosive materials were punctured.

Morehead City Fire Chief Wes Lail told television station WTVD the chemical involved is pentaerythritol tetranitrate, a powerful explosive. It’s not clear what form the chemical was in.

It’s also known as PETN, the substance authorities say was part of a device a Nigerian man tried to use to bring down a Detroit-bound Northwest flight on Christmas Day. PETN is often used in military explosives and found inside blasting caps. It is also the primary ingredient in detonating cords used for industrial explosions.

Authorities did not immediately say how big the containers were or how they were damaged.

Police told people near the port to stay away from windows and doors. Officers were sent downtown to knock on doors and relay alert and evacuation recommendations.

Morehead City police spokeswoman Amy H. Thompson said people close to the port were leaving, but she did not know how many.

The Morehead port is one of the deepest on the East coast. Its Web site says its top import last year was sulfur products and the top export was phosphate.

Locals said there was no sense of panic. Drew Hall, who answered the phone at Crystal Coast Jamboree, a concert hall near the port, said she could see police lights.

“Everybody is going about their business,” said Hall, 27 who has lived in Morehead City her whole life and does not remember a similar incident. “Why get nervous? Things happen. You can’t freak out in times like this. If you freak out, you’re going to go down.”

Calls to Mayor Jerry Jones were not returned. The coastal town has about 8,800 residents.