Suspicious box in Edsa-Shaw underpass prompts police lockdown; box found to contain only styro

Police were forced to impose a lockdown on the northbound and southbound lanes of the Edsa Shaw underpass on Friday, Aug. 16, because of this box initially thought to contain a bomb./Eagle News/

(Eagle News)–The police on Friday, Aug. 16, were forced to impose a temporary lockdown on the northbound and southbound lanes of the Edsa Shaw underpass after the presence of a suspicious box was reported to them.

The lockdown around noon caused heavy traffic in the area, which was also immediately cordoned off by authorities.

All pedestrians on the overpass were ordered to leave the area.

Responding members of the Philippine National Police Explosives and  Ordnance division who attached a bomb disruptor to the box and blasted it open, however, found it only contained styrofoam.

The police are now searching for the person who left the box in the area.

It was a Metropolitan Manila Development Authority sweeper who first reported the presence of the box to the authorities. Mar Gabriel