A suspicious package at the Salina Post Office on East Ash Street Tuesday prompted the evacuation of the facility and the closure of several square blocks of streets for several hours.

Police Captain Paul Forrester told KSAL News at the scene that at around 9:30 in the morning a customer found a suspicious package which had been left in the east end of the lobby area, where the post office boxes are located.  The package is addressed to the Salina Police Department.

The facility was evacuated, and as a precaution the nearby roads were closed. Forrester says a bomb squad from Riley County was called to deal with the package.

The bomb squad initially made entry and photographed the package, which was an envelope with wires sticking out of it. They then used a remote controlled vehicle to remove the package.

A water shot was used to open up the package, which turned out to not be explosive.

Salina Police crime scene investigators  took over the scene once the package was determined to be safe.  The streets opened back up, while the post office remained closed.

The incident began at around 9:30 in the morning, and ended at around 3:45 in the afternoon.

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Several square blocks of Downtown Salina remain blocked off while officials deal with a suspicious package that was discovered at the Salina Post Office Tuesday morning.

A suspicious package prompted the evacuation of the facility at around 9:30 in the morning. A customer found a suspicious package which had been left in the east end of the lobby area, where the post office boxes are located.  The package is addressed to the Salina Police Department.

A bomb squad from Riley County has arrived on scene. They initially made entry and photographed the package. They are currently in the process of using a remote controlled vehicle to remove the package.

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ORIGINAL:

A suspicious package has prompted the evacuation of the Salina Post Office Tuesday morning. The building has been evacuated, and the streets surrounding the facility have been closed.

Police Captain Paul Forester told KSAL News at the scene that at around 9:30 in the morning a customer found a suspicious package which had been left in the east end of the lobby area, where the post office boxes are located.  The package is addressed to the Salina Police Department.

The facility was evacuated, and as a precaution the nearby roads were closed.

Forester says a bomb squad from Riley County is enroute to deal with the package. He anticipates the closure to last several hours.