Panic grips Washington after smoke bellows near US Capitol
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The US Capitol is once again under a strict lockdown after locals reported smoke coming out of a building behind the building
The US Capitol is once again under a strict lockdown after locals reported smoke coming out of a building behind the building on Monday.
Several videos surfaced on the internet in which smoke could be seen coming out of a building behind the Capitol, which is being reported to be a homeless complex.
Immediately after the smoke was spotted, the Capitol was put under a "no entry or exit" order due to an "external security threat" under a nearby freeway overpass. People present in the building were urged to stay away from all doors and windows and seek cover.
The DC Fire and EMS unit "responded to an outside fire in the 100 block of H St SE that has been extinguished. There were no injuries. This accounts for smoke that many have seen," they said on Twitter.
#DCsBravest responded to an outside fire in the 100 block of H St SE that has been extinguished. There were no injuries. This accounts for smoke that many have seen.
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) January 18, 2021
This incident has taken place a few days before the president-elect Joe Biden is set to take oath as the new President of the US in an inauguration ceremony to be held in the US Capitol on January 20.
The Capitol has been put under a lockdown due to fears of another possible riot. The fear comes after Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol and carried out deadly riots in the building with an alleged aim to disrupt the certification process of Joe Biden's win, and attacking the Democrat lawmakers.