Multiple people at US military base fall ill after suspicious package delivered, CNN reports

MARYLAND - A suspicious package was delivered to a US military base in Maryland, which caused multiple people to fall ill and led to several being taken to hospital, CNN reported on Nov 6.

A building on the base was evacuated after an individual “opened a suspicious package,” CNN said, citing a statement from Joint Base Andrews, located outside Washington DC.

“As a precaution, the building and connecting building were evacuated, and a cordon was established around the area,” the statement said.

Several people were transported to the Malcolm Grove Medical Centre on the base, CNN said.

The extent of their illnesses was not known.

Joint Base Andrews is famously known as the home base for Air Force One, the aircraft used to transport the President of the United States.

The package contained an unknown white powder, CNN said, citing two sources familiar with the investigation.

Joint Base Andrews first responders had determined there was no immediate threat and had turned the scene over to the Office of Special Investigations, said CNN.

An initial field test from the hazardous materials team did not detect anything hazardous, but the investigation remains ongoing, added CNN, 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 Centre, had been closed.

The US Department of Defence and Joint Base Andrews did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. REUTERS