Hero worker grabs smoking backpack as it explodes in busy airport
A hero airport worker has grabbed a smoking backpack as it exploded in a busy airport, with incredible CCTV footage showing the Transport Security Administration (TSA) agent moving the suspicious package away from passengers.
Ricardo Perez, who works for the TSA at Orlando Airport in Florida, put himself in harm’s way and placed the case between two pillars to help absorb the blast.
Mr Perez told News 6: “There were folks all over. Bag went and started smoking.
“I approached it, I radioed and then I picked up the bag and brought it over to that handicap sign over there in hopes that if it would go off, it would be able to have some of the shock absorbed by those two pillars.
“I was so close to the bag. Let me get it out of the way.”
The cause of the explosion was later revealed by be a lithium battery within a camera inside the bag that had exploded into flames, causing hours of delays.
“(I’m) a lot relieved that it wasn’t a worst-case scenario because it could have been and a lot of people hurt,” Perez said.
What are your thoughts? Have you ever seen anything like this at an airport?
Image credit: YouTube / Sure News
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