West Virginia Post Office: White Powder Explodes, 15 Quarantined
White powder escaped from a package on Friday in a United States post office in West Virginia, which has led to 15 people placed under quarantine.
Postal workers reported to have heard a “pop” as the package exploded and white powder spread through the office space. None of the people shows signs of a contamination, but medical workers in a school bus are continually watching them.
Ronald Fletcher, a representative for the Citizens Fire Company, said that the parked bus is located not far from the post office at a shopping center, as authorities try to figure out what the package contained and how it exploded.
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Suspicions based on previous incidents of post office attacks have raised fears that the white powder might be anthrax, a lethal and infectious acute disease.
As of yet, no signs of chemical agents have been found, but people in the local area are told to stay away. Fletcher has said orders are following standard safety procedures, as they are still unsure how dangerous the situation is and cannot take any risks.
Dave Hamill, mayor of Ranson, W. Va, told the Associated Press that he was aware of the event but he had no updates to share. Postmaster Steve Parrill, however, disclosed that although 20 people work at the post office, only 15 were present at the time the package exploded.
According to a Jefferson Country Emergency services dispatcher, the incident was reported early Friday morning at 7:45 a.m.
An Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agency representatives arrived to inspect the federal building at 10:15 a.m., and less than 15 minutes later they had a robot inside measuring the air quality, which has not yielded any results yet.
Ranson’s square remains blocked off by police as authorities continue investigating the facility.
