A false alarm triggered panic at the Pentagon on Thursday, leading to a lockdown and partial evacuation of the US department of defense headquarters, news outlet CNN reported, citing sources.
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According to the report, multiple floors and corridors inside the building were locked down, while some areas were evacuated after systems detected a possible air quality issue that was initially treated as a hazardous materials incident.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said precautionary measures were activated after an air quality concern was detected.
"The department is executing standard protection protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area," Parnell said.
The Pentagon Force Protection Agency's hazardous materials response team, assisted by the Arlington County Fire Department, responded to the incident. Arlington Fire & EMS also confirmed its hazardous materials team was operating at the site.
A message sent to Pentagon personnel said additional testing was required and could take one to two hours. Employees were advised not to be alarmed by the presence of emergency response teams and precautionary activities inside the complex.
Sources told CNN that several floors and corridors were placed under lockdown, while police personnel were seen wearing gas masks and chemical protective gear.
Authorities later determined that the incident was a false alarm, ending the lockdown and evacuation measures.
