Seven people were briefly hospitalized after a suspicious package containing “a white powder” was sent to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, home to the US president’s Air Force One, on Thursday.
According to a spokesperson for the base, someone opened the package sometime in the afternoon, and it was cleared up by early in evening.
All those sickened have since been released from hospital – and the specifics of the powder, or the illnesses it may have caused, are unclear at this time.
“Joint Base Andrews responded to an incident here today after an individual opened a suspicious package. As a precaution, the building and connecting building were evacuated, and a cordon was established around the area,” the base command said in a statement to WUSA9.
“Joint Base Andrews first responders were dispatched to the scene, determined there were no immediate threats, and normal operations have resumed. An investigation is currently ongoing.”
CNN, which first reported the incident, said the package contained an unknown white powder and that several people had been transported to the Malcolm Grove Medical Center on the base. The extent of their illnesses was not known.
The outlet further reported that first responders from the base determined there was no immediate threat and had turned the scene over to the US air force’s Office of Special Investigations.
An initial field test from the hazardous materials team did not detect anything harmful, but the investigation remains ongoing, CNN reported, citing one of the sources familiar with the matter.
CNN said that the room where the envelope was opened – located in a building that houses the Air National Guard Readiness Center – had been closed.
