A hazardous materials alert at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) on Thursday evening prompted the evacuation of Terminal 1 and a temporary halt to flight and rail services.
The incident began when a woman approached federal police near an escalator and subsequently reported at a service desk that she was carrying toxic substances in her handbag. Officers quickly overpowered the woman and took her into custody. Because the nature of the substance was initially unclear, authorities could not rule out a potential danger, triggering a full hazardous materials alert.
Passengers were ordered to leave Terminal 1 as a security cordon was established around the suspect's handbag. A large-scale emergency response was launched at the airport. Alongside the BER airport fire brigade, multiple fire departments from the Dahme-Spreewald district deployed to the scene.
Emergency personnel, wearing protective suits and utilizing specialized equipment, began examining the handbag and the unidentified substance. Due to the complexity of the situation, which exceeded standard operating procedures, officials established an emergency coordination centre to manage the response. Both flight operations and rail services to the airport were temporarily suspended during the operation.
A police spokesperson confirmed to the Tagesspiegel that Terminal 1 was then evacuated.
