British police on Wednesday declared a “major incident” after two people were found unconscious due to an unknown substance near Salisbury, where a former British spy and his daughter were poisoned by a suspected nerve agent in March. Police said they initially believed the couple’s collapse was drug-related, but later declared the investigation “open-minded” regarding the cause of their ailment.
The couple, both in their 40s, were found unconscious in Amesbury, Wiltshire, on Saturday. Police in Wiltshire said while it was unclear if a crime had been committed, several sites in Amesbury and Salisbury known to have been frequented by the couple had been cordoned off.
Both victims were still in critical condition on Wednesday morning. Police were currently conducting tests to identify the substance.
Wiltshire police warned that residents of Amesbury and Salisbury, which are eight miles apart, could expect an increased police presence.
A Public Health England (PHE) spokesman said they believed that “based upon the number of casualties affected, is that it is not believed that there is a significant health risk to the wider public. This will be continually assessed as further information becomes known.”
Both patients are being treated at Salisbury District Hospital, which is “open as usual,” police said.
CBS News partner network BBC News cited the regional fire and rescue authority as saying a total of seven vehicles arrived at the home, an apartment, where the couple were found, including two specialist vehicles from the neighboring county of Hampshire.
They were called to the house at about 7 p.m. on Saturday, and some of the team members entered the home wearing hazmat suits, but the officials stressed that such a response was standard procedure when dealing with a possible unknown toxin.
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