Bomb disposal experts detonated a controlled explosion Sunday evening to destroy a suspicious package found at Maracana Stadium, site of the Rio Olympics’ Opening Ceremonies on Friday.
The suspicious package, identified as a toolbox by one outlet and as a backpack by another, was destroyed by a bomb disposal robot, according to local media outlets.
It has not been confirmed whether the package contained a bomb.
Maracana is Brazil’s most famous stadium, site of the World Cup final in 1950 and 2014. The closing ceremonies Aug. 21 also will be held in the stadium, which holds 78,000.
Workers have been on the job constantly in a rush to complete facilities for the Games and there have been glitches. A week ago, Australian officials found the team’s quarters in the Olympic Village uninhabitable when toilets in the high-rise accommodations failed a stress test.
The group moved in midweek, but, when they evacuated Friday night because of a fire alarm, two laptops and several shirts were stolen from their rooms. In addition, officials said the fire alarms did not work.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post ยท Cindy Boren
