A piece of equipment from a weather balloon caused a stir at the Springs Old Age home when it was mistaken for a bomb on Thursday afternoon, police said.
Occupants at the home became suspicious when they heard a ticking noise from a parcel that ended up in the parking lot at about 2.30pm, Superintendent Andy Pieke said.
The North East Rand dog unit was dispatched and a sniffer dog called Tequila concluded that the device was not a bomb.
A telephone number on the polystyrene holder was called. Police then established that the device had been part of a weather balloon, which may have burst. — Sapa