‘Guam hotel blast not terrorism’

We found no evidence that explosion was terror-related, say officials

HAGATNA (Guam): Investigators have so far found no evidence that an explosion at a bar in the Guam Hilton that forced tourists to evacuate was terror-related, officials said.

The blast late Thursday injured two people and sparked a major security scare on the US Pacific territory, which is home to some 6,000 military personnel, with the FBI and Homeland Security rushing to secure the scene and investigate its cause.

Hotel guests were cleared from the premises while sniffer dogs looking for explosives reportedly swept the resort, but failed to find anything suspicious.

Police said on Friday that inquiries into the cause of the blast were ongoing, while Governor Eddie Calvo’s office issued a one-line statement saying: “There’s no indication at this time that this was an act of terrorism.”

Officials said two people – a 32year-old male Japanese tourist and a 33-year-old local female – were rushed to the Guam Memorial Hospital, but their injuries were not serious.

A United States official speaking on condition of anonymity said late Thursday that at first glance the explosion, which occurred during a barbeque demonstration at the bar, appeared to be an accident, citing a gas pipe as the possible source.

The theory tallies with the recollection of a local woman who visited the bar recently and said she noticed a strong smell of gas, describing it as “an accident waiting to happen”.

Japan’s foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday that a Japanese man was slightly injured.

“There was an explosion. We know that a male individual received very minor injury,” a Tokyo-based diplomat said, adding that staff from the consulate-general’s office in Guam had spoken with the man.

The ministry was not aware of any information indicating the explosion was a terror attack, he said.

A Honolulu-based FBI spokesman confirmed: “The FBI is cooperating with the Guam authorities in investigating the explosion.”

The Guam Hilton did not return calls about the incident. — AFP