LOS ANGELES, Sept. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- A bomb scare prompted the evacuation of about 1,000 people from a southern California airport Friday afternoon, but it proved to be a false alarm later,US officials said.

    A dozen inbound planes were delayed and arriving passengers were not allowed to deplane from several others after an explosives scanner at the Ontario International Airport detected something suspicious in the backpack of a woman, airport spokeswoman Maria Fermin said.

    Both floors of Terminal 4 were evacuated just before noon, while the woman was held for questioning and a bomb-sniffing dog was brought in.

    The terminal was reopened about two hours later after a police bomb squad robot opened the backpack and found the suspicious itemwas some sort of cosmetic, Fermin said.

    In August 2003, part of Terminal 4 in the airport, about 70 km east of downtown Los Angeles, was evacuated after an explosives scanner alerted authorities to luggage belonging to a woman headed to San Jose.

    Authorities suspected the cans might contain explosives, so thesuitcase was blown up. But it was later learned that the cans contained imported Indian pickles. Enditem