Bag explodes at Midway after it’s run over by luggage vehicle: police

There was “no threat” to the public Monday after a bag combusted at Midway International Airport when it was run over by a luggage vehicle.

Chicago police said a bag was being loaded onto an airplane about 12:18 p.m. when it “exploded” without causing injuries.

Police sent a bomb squad to investigate and declared the scene safe shortly before 1 p.m., police said.

The preliminary investigation showed the cause might have been a cellphone battery or charger, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

He said the bag was accidentally run over by a luggage vehicle and did not combust or explode on its own.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said he didn’t know if the word “explosion” was accurate.

He said there was a sound, possibly a “pop,” after the luggage came off of the conveyance vehicle, but there was no fire when crews arrived.

The luggage was being loaded into Volaris flight #943, which was bound for Leon, Mexico, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

The department said there was no threat to the public, and no damage to the aircraft. Volaris airlines did not immediately reply to a request for comment.