Contractors find possible pipe bombs in vacant Newburyport home

Newburyport police and firefighters are investigating after contractors discovered four possible pipe bombs in a home they were working on, authorities said.

Police and firefighters responded to a home on Purchase Street just after 2 p.m. Thursday after contractors found a box that contained “what appeared to be four pipe bombs,” authorities said in a press release.

Authorities secured the scene and called in the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad. But even after x-raying the items, they were unable to determine whether the devices were actual bombs or just props, authorities said.

The home is under construction and no one is currently living there. Police said the property owner was not aware of the box’s presence.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the Bomb Squad will be removing the items from the home and taking them to a secluded area off Colby Farm Road to safely destroy the items,” police said in the release. 

There is no threat to the general public, authorities said.