Police Feared Explosives in South Beach

MIAMI BEACH — Police closed part of one of the busiest areas of South Beach to traffic for about two hours on Wednesday as they investigated threats of a possible explosive.

Police said that the 900 block of Ocean Drive was closed around 10 p.m. and that K-9 units were also called to the scene.

Shortly after midnight police tweeted that "no credible threats discovered" and that traffic would resume a short time later.

The street is one of the busiest in South Beach every day but particularly so during the annual tourist season which began around Thanksgiving. It is also the center of the Art Deco District.

The 900 block is home to Mango's Tropical Cafe, which is a tourist favorite with two floors of entertainment and scantily clad bartenders dancing salsa on the bar. The business is usually crowded throughout the night until 5 a.m. closing time.

Police did not say whether Mango's or other businesses in the 900 block had been evacuated, but reporters on the scene said that it did not appear that any cafes or restaurants were affected.

News reports said that police received several calls to their non-emergency number saying that there were possible explosives between 9th and 10th Streets on Ocean Drive.