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Security forces and media representatives outside the Capitol in Washington
Photo:
MICHAEL REYNOLDS / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
Shortly before the inauguration of Joe Biden as US President, there is high alert in the capital Washington, DC.
An incident on Monday shows that the situation is tense: the congress building was cordoned off because of a small fire near the Capitol.
Initially, the authorities said the reason was an "external security threat".
Employees were asked not to leave the building and to stay away from doors and windows.
The participants of a planned rehearsal of the swearing-in ceremony in front of the Capitol hurried into the congress building.
In the meantime there was even talk of a "small explosion".
The authorities soon gave the all-clear again: According to the fire brigade, the tent of a homeless person went up in flames not far from the Capitol.
The woman claimed to have used propane gas - hence the reports of an "explosion".
The fire was quickly extinguished.
The woman was injured, according to the fire department, but refused to be treated in the hospital.
After the storming of the Capitol on January 6th by supporters of the elected US President Donald Trump, the security precautions for Biden's inauguration were drastically tightened.
The Capitol was cordoned off extensively, fences and metal barriers were erected in the city center, around 25,000 National Guardsmen will be on duty on Wednesday.
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mes / dpa / AFP