Almost a dozen people have been injured at a Washington-area military base as a result of a letter that contained a hazardous substance, according to local first-responders.
Hazmat crews rushed to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall and were trying to identify the substance Tuesday afternoon, according to the Fort Myer Fire Department’s Twitter account.
Update: Regional HazMat Team is making entry to ID substance @ArlingtonVaFD@AlexandriaVAFD#BREAKINGpic.twitter.com/KaexXtx1tS
— IAFF LOCAL F253 (@FortMyerFire) February 27, 2018
The affected area is Henderson Hall Building 29, the department said. Henderson Hall is the headquarters of the U.S. Marine Corps.
The Arlington Fire Department said via Twitter that “11 people started feeling ill after letter was opened in consolidated admin building.”
The department said three people were transported “in stable condition” and said early Tuesday evening that the situation was in hand.
“Command is scaling back incident starting to put some units in service. Investigation ongoing,” Arlington FD wrote.
News outlets described the symptoms as “nose bleeds” and “burning sensations.” According to the local news site ArlNow.com, the substance was contained in a certified letter.
Roads near the entrance to Henderson Hall, which sits at the intersection of Southgate Road and South Orme Street, were being blocked off by authorities.
There were no immediate reports on who sent the mail and why.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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