Bomb' Found in Rome Subway 'Could Not Have Exploded

ROME (AP) -- A suspicious package full of wires and powder was found Tuesday in a subway car in Rome, prompting a terror scare during the Christmas season. But the city's mayor said the device could not have exploded.

The device was found at around 10 a.m. (0900GMT) inside a train at the Rebibbia station, on the outskirts of Italian capital. The train was at the end of the line and empty when the package was found, said Atac, which runs the Rome subway.

Bomb-disposal experts checked the powder and concluded "the device could not have exploded," said Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno.

"The rudimentary device could not trigger an explosion," Alemanno was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency.

Atac said in a statement the train was in an area beyond the platform that is used for maneuvering when the device was found.

Spokeswoman Diana Formaggio said the package contained powder and wires. She said the station was never closed and the service was never interrupted.