Suspicious packages found in NYC deemed safe: police

NEW YORK -- Police confirmed on Friday that the suspicious packages found at two different locations in Lower Manhattan earlier today contained no explosives, according to law enforcement officials.

Two pressure cookers were found at the Fulton Street station at around 7 am (1100 GMT), leading to an evacuation of the station which was later surrounded by the city's bomb squad and emergency vehicles.

New York Police Department Counterterrorism Chief James Waters said on Twitter at around 8:30 am (1230 GMT) that the packages were not explosive devices, adding that officers have searched nearby subway stations out of an abundance of caution.

Seconds after the all-clear was given, another suspicious package was found next to a garbage can at the Chelsea neighborhood, around 3 km north of the Fulton Street station.

It took officers around half an hour to determine the package was also safe. Waters said residual delays in the area were expected.

It's not clear whether the two incidents are connected.

In September 2016, a pressure cooker bomb detonated in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, injuring dozens. The perpetrator, Ahmad Khan Rahimi, was sentenced to life in prison.

In December 2017, Akayed Ullah set off a homemade pipe bomb at the Times Square subway station during rush hour, badly injuring himself.