Earlier there were reports of a loud explosion near the end of the cycling track at the Olympics, and it turned out to be a controlled explosion of an object, possibly a backpack by officials.
Loud blast heard near #Rio #Olympics cycling course, bomb squad operating behind press tribune – Reuters witness
— Arab News (@Arab_News) August 6, 2016
UPDATE: bomb squad operating as loud blast heard near Rio Olympics cycling course #RioOlympics2016 pic.twitter.com/b6S8UWD6pw
— Press TV (@PressTV) August 6, 2016
From USA Today:
A small blast shook the area near the finish line of the men’s cycling road race Saturday with about 70 kilometers to go in the race. No one was injured, and the event went on unaffected.
Reporters heard a loud boom on the press tribune and felt the ground shake.
An officer assigned to the event said it was a controlled explosion of an unattended bag. He did not give his name because he was not authorized to speak.
A half dozen military police cordoned off the area. No one was immediately evacuated.
There is a heavy security presence throughout the city amid worries about safety as the Olympics begin.
There have been several bomb scares before this, hopefully there won’t be any actual attacks from groups prone to violence, like the Amish, the Scientologists, or the damnable Belgians.