Portsmouth, NH Residents Evacuated, Street & Parking Gargage Closed … Bomb Threat on Bus (Update: No Bomb on Board)

News from Portsmouth, New Hampshire …

Residents of Portsmouth, NH are being evacuated and a parking garage has been closed and streets closed as a man is reported to be claiming to have a bomb on a bus. Reports are that a suspicious device was found on a bus.

Portsmouth, NH

Police in Portsmouth, N.H., have evacuated residents and buildings after a report of a man with a bomb on a bus.

Police Chief Lou Ferland told the Portsmouth Herald on Thursday that the man threatened he had a bomb.

A parking garage has been closed.

The bus was enroute from Bangor, ME to NYC

Police said the incident involved a Greyhound bus that was en route from Bangor, Maine, to New York City. Police said the area around Hanover, High and Market streets was closed.

Greyhound said 18 passengers were on the bus, but it was not known if they were still on board.

Terrorism or a crazy person?

Portsmouth Police Investigate Bomb Threat On Bus

The state police explosives disposal unit has responded, and police evacuated residents and buildings in the area, including a Hilton hotel where an alarm sounded. The High-Hanover Street parking garage also has been closed.

Police evacuating several homes, businesses in Portsmouth, NH. (VIDEO)

The state police explosives disposal unit has responded to the threat. The driver, who police say got off the bus, is being questioned.

Portsmouth police investigate bomb threat on Boston-bound bus.

FBI agents arrived on scene at approximately 12:17 p.m.

Others responding to the scene included the Seacoast Emergency Response Team (SERT), the N.H. State Police bomb disposal unit, an Exeter Police special operations vehicle and a K-9 unit from Dover. At approximately 12:30 p.m. an armored vehicle was also en route from Rye.

As of 12:40 p.m. police had not named a suspect, and are urging people to stay away from the downtown area.

UPDATE I: Passengers exiting bus, one suspect on bus handcuffed. Passengers on a Greyhound bus have begun getting off the bus in downtown Portsmouth, NH, with their hands in the air.

UPDATE II: Authorities remain in a stand off with a passenger in Portsmouth, NH from the bus from Bangor, ME to NYC. All of the other passengers have exited the bus and have been questioned by police. At this point only one remains.

Authorities remain in a standoff with a man on a Maine-to-New York Greyhound bus hours after a passenger called 911 to report an explosive device on board.

The other 16 passengers and the driver safely got off the bus, which was parked in downtown Portsmouth, N.H., at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

At least two sharpshooters and a bomb squad have been keeping careful watch. One sharpshooter in an armored vehicle moved close to the bus.

Check out the pics from Lorenzo Vigil. More HERE.

Stand off continues … one passenger left on the bus being questioned by cell phone (VIDEO)

UPDATE III: Police Find No Explosives on Bus.

All’s well that ends well.

A Greyhound bus passenger was taken into police custody at about 8:40 p.m. Thursday, nine hours after a 911 call about a suspicious device on the bus crippled much of the city’s downtown.

Portsmouth Police Chief Lou Ferland said Friday morning that this was not a terrorist event, and that no bomb was found.

NH bus bomb scare a misunderstanding … Hmm. So this person only thought they heard it mentioned? Haven’t we heard this story before? How do we really know the passenger did not hear it? Just saying.

The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he as not authorized to speak publicly, said the bomb scare was sparked by another passenger who thought she overheard the non-English speaking rider mention a bomb and called 911.

The person said the passenger is unlikely to face criminal charges. No explosives were found.

U.S. Attorney John Kacavas confirmed the passenger was from Africa.