India, March 12 -- Tense moments hit Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC Thursday morning when a suspicious package prompted the evacuation of Concourse D, sending passengers scrambling to safety.

The package was found in a break room around 9 am, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). Airport police quickly set up a safety perimeter and cleared travelers from the area. Authorities are investigating the package, but have not said why it was considered suspicious.

Concourse D is part of Terminal 2 and serves American Airlines flights.

The evacuation comes amid ongoing pay issues for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, who have gone without paychecks during the partial government shu...