British anti-terrorism police called in as unknown substance leaves two people critical

[The_jackalope]

Source: Reuters

AMESBURY, England (Reuters) - British counter-terrorism officers joined a police investigation on Wednesday after two people were found in critical condition from suspected exposure to an unknown substance near the English city where a former Russian spy was poisoned.

Britain’s Sun newspaper reported that the man and woman had been poisoned and were showing similar symptoms to those displayed by ex-double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia who were victims of a nerve agent attack in March.

The Sun said samples of the toxin involved had been sent to the nearby military research centre of Porton Down for testing.

Read more: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-police-critical/two-people-in-critical-condition-in-uk-after-incident-in-amesbury-police-idUKKBN1JU058

[brooklynite]

1. UPDATE: U.K. police: 2 more exposed to same nerve agent that sickened spy

For the second time in four months, two people lie critically ill in England’s Salisbury District Hospital after being exposed to a military-grade nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union, British police confirmed late Wednesday.

The country’s chief counterterrorism police officer said tests at Britain’s defense laboratory had confirmed what many residents feared — a man and woman in their 40s had been poisoned with the same toxin that almost killed a former Russian spy and his daughter.

“We can confirm that the man and woman have been exposed to the nerve agent Novichok, which has been identified as the same nerve agent that contaminated both Yulia and Sergei Skripal,” said Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu of London’s Metropolitan Police.

Local police declared the case a “major incident” Wednesday, four days after the man and woman were found collapsed at a residential building in Amesbury, eight miles from Salisbury, where the Skripals were poisoned.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/04/uk-nerve-agent-russia-spy-poisoning-694786

[Judi Lynn]

2. Kick and rec. Thank you, jackalope. n/t