The briefing room of the White House was temporarily evacuated on Tuesday afternoon while the daily session was being televised after the Washington police received a call regarding a bomb threat.

Reporters present during the incident were only allowed to return to the briefing room 30 minutes later, after experts had checked the area for explosives. During the evacuation, President Obama reportedly stayed at the Oval Office, which is not far away from the briefing room.

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According to The New York Times, the Secret Service have revealed that the briefing room was the specific location of the bomb threat. As a precautionary measure, the room was therefore evacuated immediately and checked for explosive materials.

Reporters and their crews were told by armed officers to leave the building right away while press secretary Josh Earnest, together with his staff, went to his office down the hall and remained there. Meanwhile, the first lady and her two daughters stayed in the East Wing.

According to CNBC, Earnest said the threat was made before 2 p.m. and that no other rooms in the White House were evacuated. Incidentally, the bomb scare happened during a time when Mr. Obama had no appointments on his public schedule though he had delivered a speech about health care at midday.

During the evacuation, journalists and their crew were asked by the Secret Service to assemble at Pebble Beach, an area where correspondents often video their live shots. The reporters were reportedly then escorted to the West Executive Avenue, which is adjacent to the West Wing. Later, they were told to move to the auditorium located at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across the White House. However, some reporters chose to wait in a tunnel entrance just outside the building.

Meanwhile, camera crews outside the West Wing were covered during the whole time and were reportedly prevented from recording what happened. Earnest did not explain why because he was allegedly not there when the incident took place.

Reuters reported that on Tuesday authorities also investigated several reports of suspicious packages and a bomb threat in Dirksen building and Russell building's courtyard. They did not find any problem whatsoever.

TagsWhite House briefing room, White House briefing room bomb threat, Bomb threat White House, White House Bomb Threat