Eleven people fell ill, including several marines, and three were taken to the hospital after a letter containing an unknown substance was opened in an administrative office at Joint Base Meyer-Henderson Hall building 29 in Ft. Meyer, Virginia. The hospitalized employees are listed in stable condition, while the remaining victims have been decontaminated by a hazardous materials team.
Update: Regional HazMat Team is making entry to ID substance @ArlingtonVaFD @AlexandriaVAFD #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/KaexXtx1tS
— IAFF LOCAL F253 (@FortMyerFire) February 27, 2018
Initial reports suggest that a certified letter was opened in one of the buildings and that it contained some sort of potentially hazardous substance, prompting an evacuation of the building and the deployment of an emergency decontamination station.
The U.S. Marines said in a tweet that personnel “took immediate preventative measures” by evacuating the building.
A Marine Corps official released a statement saying that the base was coordinating with the FBI. The full statement is below:
An envelope containing an unknown substance was received, today, aboard Joint Base Ft. Myer-Henderson Hall. Personnel in the affected building took immediate preventative measures by evacuating the building. Base officials are coordinating with local hazmat teams and the FBI. Several Marines are receiving medical care as a result of this incident.
National news media has gathered outside of the base in Arlington’s Foxcroft Heights neighborhood to report on the story, arlnow.com reported.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), meanwhile, said via Twitter that he is “closely following the situation.”
During the incident police closed off the road near the entrance to Henderson Hall, at the intersection of S. Orme Street and Southgate Road.
As arlnow adds, firefighters were first dispatched to Henderson Hall, the headquarters of the U.S. Marine Corps, just after 4:30 p.m. for a hazmat call. Ft. Myer, Arlington County and Alexandria firefighters and hazmat units are all on scene, as is an “EMS task force” that is usually dispatched to mass casualty incidents.
BREAKING: Letter opened at Virginia’s Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall triggers hazmat situation; 11 fall ill https://t.co/xYMHIYa0OH pic.twitter.com/O1c5n1YXVi
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 27, 2018
An envelope containing an unknown substance was received, today,
aboard Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Personnel in the affected building took immediate preventative measures by evacuating the building.— U.S. Marines (@USMC) February 27, 2018
Engine 161, 161B on scene Henderson Hall Bldg 29. Active HazMat incident with Mult Patients. @ArlingtonVaFD and Regional HazMat Team on scene to assist. #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/EEUBKq3XRa
— IAFF LOCAL F253 (@FortMyerFire) February 27, 2018
Our Hazmat Team members and Aide 215 are assisting @FortMyerFire and @IAFF2800 Firefighters on a Hazmat Incident at the Fort Myer Base.
— IAFF Local 2141 (@IAFFLocal2141) February 27, 2018
According to NBC News, a gunnery sergeant opened the letter and showed it to a superior, who both began to feel ill – a Pentagon official reported.
#Breaking: ACFD’s #Hazmat team is assisting Fort Myer with a Hazmat investigation. PIO is on scene working with Ft Myer’s staff. pic.twitter.com/aF7YknYZ29
— Arlington Fire (@ArlingtonVaFD) February 27, 2018
A hazmat team along with Arlington Fire are investigating the incident.
#Update: Ft Myer Hazmat, 11 people started feeling ill after letter was opened in consolidated admin building. 3 were transported. Condition not known. Ft Myer PIO enroute.
— Arlington Fire (@ArlingtonVaFD) February 27, 2018
#Update: Ft Myer, 3 transported patients in stable condition. Command is scaling back incident starting to put some units in service. Investigation ongoing.
— Arlington Fire (@ArlingtonVaFD) February 27, 2018
According to a statement from the U.S. Marines, a colonel took “preventative measures” and ordered the building evacuated.
“Several Marines are receiving medical care as a result of this incident,” they added.
The suspicious substance has been taken away by authorities, while the FBI is making their way to the scene.
Media staging for Ft Myer Hazmat incident will be in lower parking lot off Southgate Road at Columbia Pike pic.twitter.com/dCweo2lGWl
— Arlington Fire (@ArlingtonVaFD) February 27, 2018
Developing…
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