Backpack prompts evacuation at Trump Tower in New York City

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By BNO NEWS

Trump Tower in New York City, the current residence of the president-elect, was briefly evacuated after a suspicious backpack was found in the lobby, officials and witnesses say. Trump himself was not at the location.

The incident began at about 4:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday when police ordered an urgent evacuation of the building at 56th Street and 5th Street in Manhattan. Video from the scene showed people running as they evacuated parts of the building.

The evacuation was ordered after an unattended backpack was found in the lobby, though specific details were not immediately available. The NYPD’s Bomb Squad responded and declared the package safe just after 5 p.m. It turned out to contain only children’s toys.

A large number of emergency services responded to the initial call, but the president-elect himself was not at the building when it happened. Trump was at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, and was not affected by the security alert.

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