Bomb found in US city sparks mass evacuation as mayor confirms 'credible threat'

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A bomb has been found at a ethanol production facility in Peoria, Illinois, with mass evacuations underway as the local mayor says there may be more devices

A bomb found at a chemical factory has sparked a mass evacuation of residents from neighbourhoods in a US city.

Police were investigating a threat to BioUrja Renewables, near Southwest Washington Street in Peoria, Illinois, when the device was found.

Authorities discovered a bomb at the ethanol production facility and it may have been deactivated, stated Peoria Mayor Rita Ali, with evacuations continuing.

She said that the priority at the moment is to ensure that residents are safe and if anyone is unable to evacuate then they should call emergency services.

“We don’t know if there are other devices,” she said. “A device has been identified. We know it’s a credible threat. We know it’s a bomb.”

She continued: "This is a real crisis situation right now. We want all of our residents to treat it like an emergency and to evacuate the area within that one-mile radius."

Emergency services evacuated people in a one-mile radius around the chemical plants which distills ethanol and other highly flammable and combustible materials. Bridges have been cordoned off in the city and the Illinois River is also closed.

A shelter has been opened at Manual Academy at 811 South Griswold Street in Peoria and the EastSide Centre is the designated shelter for East Peoria, city officials said.

The discovery of the bomb has sparked a major emergency service response involving the FBI, the Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - as well as the city's police and fire service.

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