News
Sauerkraut triggers alarm at Osan mall, post office
Stars and Stripes
May 15, 2005
Employees and patrons of the shopping mall at Osan Air Base, South Korea, file out of the facility after a suspicious package, which turned out to be sauerkraut, prompted an evacuation Friday morning. (Franklin Fisher / Stars and Stripes)
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — A parcel of sauerkraut passing through chemical-sensitive mail-scanning equipment in the new base post office here Friday triggered a “suspicious package” alert, forcing officials to call off the post office’s grand opening ceremony.
They also evacuated the Osan Shopping Mall, which adjoins the post office.
The incident occurred at 11:25 a.m., five minutes before the ceremony, at which 51st Fighter Wing commander Brig. Gen. Maury Forsyth was to make remarks.
Officials did not immediately determine whether it was the sauerkraut or something in its packaging that affected the ion-scan equipment, used to screen out hazardous materials.
“The package was safe and verified as not containing any hazardous materials,” a base spokesman said later.
“Today was the first day of operation” of the post office, the spokesman said. “So it’s open for business now and people are going in to get their mail.”
The grand opening ceremony was to be rescheduled for some time early this week, the spokesman said.