False explosive alarm sparks panic in U.S. embassy in Venezuela

A false alarm about an explosive device near the U.S. embassy here caused panic in the embassy for about five hours on Thursday, private Venezuelan TV channel Globovision reported. After receiving a warning call claiming that a possible explosive device was in one of the vehicles parked near the embassy, the security staff closed the doors of the building as a precautionary measure. Embassy visitors and staff were asked to stay inside, while officials of the Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services inspected the area. Neither the U.S. embassy nor the Venezuelan government has commented on the incident.