Ranson, W.Va. post office explosion declared safe

November 4, 2011 - 10:04 am

Fire trucks respond to the post office in Ranson where the explosion occurred. (Photo: Ty Crawford/Drew Broadhurst)

RANSON, W.Va. (AP, ABC7) — A West Virginia post office that was evacuated after a package exploded has been declared safe.

The Independent Fire Company in the small town of Ranson told the Hagerstown Herald-Mail that the explosion occurred at about 7:45 a.m. Friday at the Ranson Post Office.

The Herald-Mail reports that 15 people who were inside the post office at the time have been quarantined inside a school bus in a parking lot at a nearby shopping center.

Firefighter and incident spokesman Ronald Fletcher says the "pop" heard by postal workers in the town of Ranson was the bulb exploding. He said the reported white powder was likely smoke from the broken light.

And a suspicious package in a storage locker turned out to contain only cookies.

None of those quarantined have shown any signs of contamination, though, the paper reports.

A fire official says that a robot has been sent into the post office to check the air quality. A Ranson police official also says no injuries were reported in the explosion.

 

Short URL: http://wj.la/v4ZSwz