MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (AP) — Officials have shut down a North Carolina port and are recommending people leave the area after containers with highly explosive materials were punctured.
Morehead City police spokeswoman Amy H. Thompson said Tuesday that nine containers were damaged. Authorities did not immediately disclose the contents of the containers or their size, or say how they were punctured.
Police are recommending people leave the area and those near the port are being told to stay away from windows and doors. The police department sent officers downtown to knock on doors to relay alert and evacuation recommendations.
The Morehead port is one of the deepest on the East coast. Its Web site says its top import last year was sulfur products and the top export was phosphate. Morehead City has about 8,800 residents.