General News
11/10/2009 5:39 AM ET
(RTTNews) -
Three foreign missions in Manhattan, New York, are reported to have received letters containing white powder, prompting fire crews to carry out emergency de-contamination work in the affected offices as a precaution.
The letters, with Dallas postmarks, were received Monday by the missions of France, Uzbekistan and Austria between 4:01 and 6:31 pm local time (0901 and 1131 GMT), said Detective John Sweeney.
Preliminary tests on the substance mailed to the Uzbekistan mission reported negative for either anthrax or any other dangerous substances.
As authorities investigated the nature of the substance, about 40 persons, including 33 from the French mission, were de-contaminated in showers as a precaution, he said.
A series of mailed packets containing powdered anthrax, sent within the United States shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, killed five persons, besides spreading panic among people.
by RTT Staff Writer
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