VIRGINIA: Suspicious Letter Sickens 11 At Army Base

Washington DC’s WTOP reports:

A hazardous materials team has been dispatched to Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, after a suspicious letter sickened 11 and sent three to the hospital. The three are in stable condition, according to the Arlington Fire Department, which is assisting in the investigation. Symptoms among those affected include nosebleeds and burning hands, according to sources familiar with the situation. The building has been evacuated.

More from Arlington Now:

Firefighters were first dispatched to Henderson Hall, the headquarters of the U.S. Marine Corps, just after 4:30 p.m. for a hazardous materials call. Ft. Myer, Arlington County and Alexandria firefighters and hazmat units are all on scene, as is an “EMS task force” that is usually dispatched to mass casualty incidents. Initial reports suggest that a certified letter was opened in one of the buildings and that it contained some sort of potentially hazardous substance, prompting an evacuation of the building and the deployment of an emergency decontamination station.

#Update: Ft Myer Hazmat, 11 people started feeling ill after letter was opened in consolidated admin building. 3 were transported. Condition not known. Ft Myer PIO enroute.

— Arlington Fire (@ArlingtonVaFD) February 27, 2018

Media staging for Ft Myer Hazmat incident will be in lower parking lot off Southgate Road at Columbia Pike pic.twitter.com/dCweo2lGWl

— Arlington Fire (@ArlingtonVaFD) February 27, 2018