London: Scotland Yard is probing a chemical incident at London City Airport on Saturday, a day after several people were treated for breathing difficulties, leading to mass evacuation and delays in flights.
Metropolitan Police officers have discovered what is "believed to be a CS gas spray" or tear gas spray, a Met Police spokesperson said.
"At this early stage, officers are investigating whether it may have been discarded by a passenger prior to check-in," the spokesperson said.
About 500 people were evacuated from the east London airport after some passengers felt unwell. Two people were taken to hospital and 26 others treated at the spot.
The cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed, but Met officers are investigating if it was the result of an "accidental discharge".
The Met have said they are not treating the case as terrorist-related.
A London City spokesperson said, "We apologise to passengers for the inconvenience caused today when an alarm was activated, triggering a full evacuation of the airport terminal".
"Passengers were evacuated safely and we thank them for their patience. Following the evacuation, some individuals reported feeling unwell and were treated at the scene by London ambulance service," the spokesperson said.
Emergency services responded to the evacuation, citing a possible chemical incident, with firefighters and police officers jointly conducting sweeps of the airport building.
"The search of the airport led to the discovery of what is believed to be a CS gas spray. While the cause of the incident has yet to be confirmed, officers are investigating whether it was the result of an accidental discharge of the spray.
"The airport was declared safe and reopened later. Passengers are advised to contact their airline for the latest information regarding their flights," officials said.
The closure of the airport led to travel chaos as all flights were suspended. Several incoming planes from destinations such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Belfast City and Paris were diverted to other airports.
The airport was reopened after about three hours yesterday and is running as normal today.
