Mexico’s National Guard on Monday said no shots were fired in the international airport at Cancun after local media reported gunfire breaking out there. There were no reports of casualties. Videos posted on social media showed travellers scrambling and rushing out of a terminal.

The National Guard later said on Twitter that there was no evidence of gunshots in the airport. It added that “available information indicates that the sound could have been caused after a tourist accidentally knocked down three billboards.”

Earlier, the US embassy to Mexico said it was aware of reports of a “security incident” at the airport and urged people to heed local authorities and monitor news for updates.

The airport said in a statement that operations in the hub’s Terminal 3 were temporarily suspended to ensure passenger safety, and resumed minutes later.

The Caribbean coast, Mexico’s top tourist money-maker, has been hit by rampant violence and the nervousness reflects the wave of violence and deaths that have blotted Cancun’s reputation as a laid-back get-away.

In January, prosecutors said the killing of two Canadians near Cancun was motivated by debts between international gangs apparently dedicated to drug and weapons trafficking.