A device found at Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH) has turned out not to be explosive, confirm authorities.
Surrey RCMP was called to the hospital around noon on Saturday, Feb. 5 after a witness reported seeing a patient hiding something, according to a press release from police.
"Frontline members attended the hospital and located a suspicious-looking object, which appeared to be a possible improvised explosive device," states the Surrey RCMP.
A portion of the hospital was evacuated and the explosives disposal unit was called in to deal with the situation. They were able to remove the device from the hospital.
The device was then examined at an off-site location and experts determined "the device did not have explosive capabilities."
“Incidents like this have a significant impact on the hospital staff and patients,” says Cpl. Vanessa Munn. “We greatly appreciate the cooperation of those who were working or attending SMH on Saturday.”
Police are still investigating the incident. They add that it appears this was an isolated incident.
"There is no evidence to suggest that this has any connection to ongoing protests," they state in an email to Vancouver is Awesome. "A possible suspect has been identified and investigators will be working to determine the motive."
