Possible Explosive Device on Gas Pipeline Investigated in Oklahoma
Highway closed while local authorities, feds investigate device.
Aug. 10, 2011 — -- Authorities are investigating a possible explosive device which was attached to a gas pipe along an Oklahoma highway, law enforcement officials said today.
The device, which a spokesperson for the Okfuskee County Sheriff's Office told ABC News was "the real thing," was discovered this morning by an official with Oklahoma's native Muscogee (Creek) Nation outside the small town of Okemah and reported to the sheriff's office.
Bomb technicians from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol along with several agents of the FBI and the sheriff's office responded to the report and were able to remove the device from the pipeline and destroy it at an "inert" location, FBI spokesperson Clay Simmonds told ABC News.
Simmonds said investigators will not know if it was a viable explosive device until the remains are tested in a lab for analysis.
Simmonds described the device as small pipe bomb-like, about one foot by one foot with visible wires and a timing device. While the device is still under careful investigation, Simmonds said that the initial impression by investigators was that it could have only done limited, if any, damage to the pipeline.
A highway that runs parallel to the gas pipe was temporarily closed off but has since been reopened.
Simmonds said there are no suspects at this early stage.
ABC News' Chris Barry contributed to this report.
