MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s National Guard on Monday said no shots were fired in the international airport of the Caribbean resort city of Cancun after local media reported gunfire breaking out there.
There were no reports of casualties.
Video footage broadcast on social media showed passengers running out of the airport before officials said there were no signs of injured people, cartridges or firearms there.
The National Guard later said on Twitter that there was no evidence of gunshots in the airport. It added that “available information indicates that the sound could have been caused after a tourist accidentally knocked down three billboards.”
They are still investigating the incident.
The scare came after a series of security lapses in Cancun’s home state of Quintana Roo during the past few months that have claimed the lives of suspected gang members and a couple of tourists.
The airport said in a statement that operations in the hub’s Terminal 3 were temporarily suspended to ensure passenger safety, and resumed minutes later.
Earlier, the U.S. embassy to Mexico said it was aware of reports of a “security incident” at the airport and urged people to heed local authorities and monitor news for updates.
“U.S. citizens should contact loved ones directly or check-in on social media,” it said on Twitter.
(Reporting by Noe Torres; Additional reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Marguerita Choy)
