SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Three Transportation Security Administration security screeners at Salt Lake City International Airport were overcome by fumes Thursday during a baggage inspection.
The fumes triggered coughing and caused watery eyes, but all three employees were treated at the airport and released, TSA regional spokeswoman Carrie Harmon said.
Authorities evacuated the bottom level of one of the airport's two terminals about 20 minutes after the 4 p.m. MST incident. No flights were delayed because most passengers were diverted to the other terminal, where baggage screening continued, Harmon said.
The fumes came from a bag inside a piece of luggage that contained a powdery substance, Harmon said. An explosives detection machine triggered an alarm, causing one screener to take a closer look, airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann said.
The screeners were reportedly overcome by fumes when the luggage was opened.
Authorities were not immediately certain what chemical was inside the container. Hazardous materials tests determined it was ''noxious but not toxic,'' Harmon said.
The people who brought the bag to airport were being questioned by the FBI, though Harmon said it did not appear that there was any criminal intent.
