Bermuda comes together today to pray for the victims of the terrorist attacks in the United States while the family and friends of missing Bermudian Rhondell Tankard say they are keeping faith that she will be found safe and well.

Yesterday afternoon, the passengers diverted to Bermuda on Tuesday in the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, were finally able to take off and continue their journeys to the US.

But before taking off, they suffered a further scare when the Airport was evacuated in a panic after some thought one of the jets parked outside the departure area had caught fire.

The "smoke" came from leaked fuel, but it caused such scare that hundreds of passengers and staff ran from the building, some screaming.

A prayer service will be held at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess at noon today conducted by the Rev. Malcolm L. Eve, presiding elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Churches of Bermuda, and at 5.30 p.m. the American Society of Bermuda will hold a vigil.

Yesterday, Cheryl Burrows, the mother of missing AON employee Rhondell Tankard, who worked at the World Trade Center, said: "We are keeping the faith.

"She is coming home - she just can't get to the phone."

Airport officials announced yesterday that security measures are being tightened up in the wake of attacks resulting in passengers being asked to arrive between two and a half and three hours before take-off.

Security measures include random searching of carry-on luggage; random searching of passenger hold luggage; a ban on unaccompanied baggage being stored on aircraft; a full search of each aircraft before passengers before and before departure: and increased airport patrols.

Acting airport operations manager Michael Osborn said: "Once scheduled airline services are reinstated we will be in a better position to assess how quickly passengers can be checked and in and processed through the various screening procedures."

Meanwhile, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital has started restricting elective surgery to conserve medical supplies because of the restrictions on flight movements in and out of the US.

Most of the diverted passengers spent a long day at the airport as air traffic control sought permission from the US Federal Aviation Authority to allow the jets to continue their flights into America.

At 8.30 p.m., the last of the diverted flights, American Airlines from Madrid to Miami, finally took off.

Earlier in the afternoon, the other flights, two Delta to Atlanta, two Continental to Newark, New Jersey, also took off.

Passengers at the airport yesterday said they understood the delays but anxious to get home following the two day stop-off in Bermuda.

Denise Briere, of Denver, Colorado, said: "Maybe we'll go today. It's been nice being here.

"We've been lucky as we've heard of people diverted to Canada sleeping in planes."

Another passenger was Angie Proctor from Venice, Florida, the small town of 15,000 where some of the terrorists suspects are thought to have been hiding out and training as pilots.

Mrs Proctor, who was on the delayed Rome to Atlanta flight, told The Royal Gazette: "Now everyone knows where I live.

"Its where they trained the pilots.

"Our population is so small, I can't fathom it, it's impossible. Islamic people would stand out so much, it's just unbelievable."

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