ISLAMABAD: A partial lockdown at the Pentagon was lifted on Thursday after testing found no hazardous material or air quality threat inside the building, officials said.
Earlier, several sections of the Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), were placed under a shelter-in-place order after monitoring systems detected a possible air quality issue, prompting authorities to restrict movement on multiple floors and corridors as a precaution.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said building monitoring systems had flagged a potential air-quality concern, leading officials to take preventive measures while they worked to identify the source and scope of the issue.
In a later update, Parnell said further testing had confirmed there was no danger.
“Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed,” he said.
According to ABC News, authorities were investigating whether the alert was triggered by an actual hazardous air issue or a faulty sensor. Additional checks were carried out to verify the situation.
A message sent to Pentagon employees earlier in the day advised staff in selected corridors and floors to remain in place while testing was underway.
Employees were informed that results could take one to two hours.
The Arlington County Fire Department said its hazardous materials team responded to the Pentagon to assist the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s Hazmat Team during the incident.
