Canberra, Dec 16 (IANS): The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) office here was Tuesday evacuated after a suspicious package was found in a staff canteen, Canberra Times reported.

Some staff said a backpack was found unattended in the public cafeteria and the building was evacuated about 10 minutes after it was noticed.

Traffic was blocked on the State Circle and the staff were asked to move back to 100 metres away from the building.

The DFAT building is in close proximity to Parliament House and the canteen area, located on the ground floor, is open to the public.

A child care centre is also housed in the building. Around 2,800 DFAT staff work in Canberra, though not all of them are based at the evacuated site.

"We received the report of a suspicious package at DFAT on John McEwen Crescent at about 1.45 p.m.," the police said.

"Evacuations are underway at DFAT and road closures have been put in place. Members of the AFP Bomb Response Team are also present," the police said.

The police have also closed Brisbane Avenue, John McEwan Crescent and Sydney Avenue.