Gray-New Gloucester school bus evacuated due to suspected explosive device

A group of Gray-New Gloucester school students are safe after a suspicious explosive device was reported on their school bus, prompting a road closure and a response from the Maine State Police Bomb Disposal Squad. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said it responded to a report of a suspicious explosive device on a Maine School District 15 bus just after 2:50 p.m. Tuesday. Authorities said about 15 students, a mix of middle and high school students, were on board the bus at the time of the incident. The school bus driver immediately stopped the bus in a safe location and evacuated the students from the vehicle. Officials said a Maine State Police Bomb Disposal Squad technician and a bomb detection K-9 team responded to the scene, along with Cumberland County Sheriff's officials, Auburn police officers, and New Gloucester firefighters and Auburn firefighters. MSAD District 15 Superintendent Craig King told Maine-based Total Coverage the safety issue occurred on Bus 13 while traveling to Gray-New Gloucester Middle School. and Gray-New Gloucester High School students. According to King, all students and the bus driver are safe. The superintendent also said the school district will provide alternate transportation for elementary students riding Bus 13.The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said MSAD 15 officials safely transported the evacuated students from Ricker Road to a nearby location.“Immediate action was taken to close the roadway, create a safe environment, evacuate the bus of the few students that were on it, and secure the scene,” said Lt. Jim Estabrook of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.The section of Ricker Road, which is part of Route 122, was closed for about two hours between Bald Hill Road and the Auburn line. This section of the road is about 0.7 miles long. Additionally, Auburn Police posted on Facebook that they are detouring southbound traffic on Hotel Road at the intersection with Kittyhawk Avenue due to a report of a suspicious package/device near the Auburn-New Gloucester line. Traffic restrictions on Hotel Road have since been lifted. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said investigators have concluded there is no longer a potential threat to the school district, students or the public. The incident remains under investigation. It is unknown what the suspicious device was or how it got on the bus.