Several individuals at a US military base fell ill after a suspicious package containing white powder was opened
The main building and an adjacent facility at the Maryland base were evacuated.
A suspicious package containing white powder delivered to a US military base in Maryland has caused several people to fall ill, with some requiring hospitalization, CNN reported Thursday.
According to a statement from Joint Base Andrews, located outside Washington, DC, a building on the base was evacuated after an individual opened the package. “As a precaution, the building and an adjacent structure were evacuated, and a cordon was established around the area,” the statement said.
Several affected individuals were taken to the Malcolm Grove Medical Center on the base, though the extent of their conditions remains unclear. Joint Base Andrews is well known as the home of Air Force One, the aircraft that transports the President of the United States.
CNN, citing two sources familiar with the investigation, reported that the package contained an unidentified white powder. Base first responders found no immediate threat and later handed the scene over to the Office of Special Investigations. A preliminary field test by the HAZMAT team did not detect any hazardous material, though the investigation is still underway.
The room where the envelope was opened — located in the building housing the Air National Guard Readiness Center — has been sealed off, CNN added.
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