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South Carolina port terminal evacuated over possible ‘dirty bomb’

Crews load a container ship at the South Carolina State Ports Authority's Wando Terminal in Mount Pleasant, S.C., on Sept. 16, 2013. The authority board learned Tuesday that container volume through the South Carolina ports during July and August increased 4 percent over the previous year. It was also told that the agency's new inland port in Greer, S.C., will be operational next month. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith)

Federal and local authorities evacuated a terminal at the Port of Charleston in South Carolina on Wednesday to investigate a “potential threat” in a container ship, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard officials described the threat as a possible “dirty bomb” on the Maersk Memphis ship docked in the Wando Terminal, where hazardous materials crews and rescue workers were seen working, an NBC affiliate in South Carolina reported.

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Bomb threat coverage on Globalnews.ca:

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The U.S. Coast Guard said in statement authorities were made aware of the potential threat in a container aboard the vessel at about 8 p.m. local time (midnight GMT) and that the terminal had been evacuated.

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