Envelopes containing white powder were delivered Monday to three missions to the United Nations in midtown Manhattan, touching off the security scare in the central New York City, officials said here on Monday night.
There was no immediate report of injuries from the unknown substances, but about 30 people were ordered to decontaminate it, a New York City fire spokesman said.
The three missions were the Missions of Austria, France and Uzbekistan to the United Nations, which are in three different locations in midtown Manhattan, officials said.
Most of the decontaminators clad in white exposure suits were seen working near the French Mission on the 47th street and the Second Avenue in Manhattan. Many police cars were seen on the street near the site, which was cordoned off, but New York City police did not close off the streets near the French Mission at midnight.
The decontaminators were taking the samples found in the envelopes for further investigations, a New York City police spokesman said.
The envelopes with unknown white powder were received between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. EST (2100 and 2330 GMT), the spokesman said.
Jerry Kozrak, a New York City Fire Department official, told Xinhua that "approximately 9:28 (EST) this evening we were called to 245 E 47th
Street for white powder release."
"During the release, there are 20 females, 13 males positively exposed," he said. "As a precaution, We are in a process of decontaminating
those people now. DEP has removed the substance and is doing a test on it at this point."
Asked whether there is anyone with symptoms, he said, "Nobody was symptomatic, everything is very calm and well-organized."