HANOVER — A pressure cooker thought to have been left behind after a potluck meal caused a brief bomb scare at Dartmouth College on Friday afternoon, according to police.
At about 3:30 p.m., the Hanover Police Department received a call from campus Safety and Security officers about a suspicious item resembling a pressure cooker in the parking lot at 37 Dewey Field Road.
After police and fire personnel evaluated the situation, nearby buildings were evacuated and the New Hampshire State Police Explosives Disposal Unit was notified. The bomb unit arrived on scene at about 5:15 PM and x-rayed the pressure cooker, which was determined to contain food.
During the course of the investigation, authorities learned there recently had been a potluck event at the building, which houses Dartmouth’s Master of Health Care Delivery Science program, and the pressure cooker likely was left behind inadvertently by someone loading their vehicle.
All units cleared the scene at about 5:45 p.m.