Baggage 'Explodes' At Midway Airport, No One Hurt: Cops

CHICAGO — No one was injured after a bag exploded as it was being loaded onto a flight Monday at Midway International Airport, police said.

Shortly before noon, police and fire personnel were dispatched to Gate A2 for a report that a piece of luggage blew up while being loaded on a baggage belt onto an outbound plane. There were no flames or visible damage to the aircraft, according to the initial report.

A Level 1 Hazmat situation was declared, and bomb squad and arson investigators were called in to check the scene, according to fire and police department spokespeople. About an hour after the call, Chicago police announced the situation had been cleared and that normal airport operations would resume.

Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said a cell phone battery or battery charger is believed to have been responsible for the incident.

According to flight records, the Volaris Airlines plane arrived from Guadalajara, Mexico, around 10:30 a.m. and was set to depart to Silao, Mexico, about an hour later. That flight was delayed by more than two hours by the incident. A spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Aviation was unaware of any disruption at other gates.

Chicago Midway @fly2midway pic.twitter.com/FQPWQcfbMJ
— Scott McBride (@ksmcbride) October 21, 2019

#Breaking: 11:55am, Midway International Airport - A bag exploded on a belt loader while being loaded onto an outgoing Volaris flight at gate A2. Level I Hazmat declared, heavy police and fire presence, including various fed agencies. Various gates closed.#ChicagoScanner #MDW pic.twitter.com/1f4t9gCc6c
— Eric Tendian (@EricTendian) October 21, 2019

The luggage incident at Midway Airport has been cleared. There is no public safety threat. Airport operations are resuming. pic.twitter.com/EbVEmUyhy5
— Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) October 21, 2019