Facebook was forced to evacuate four buildings after mail containing a substance thought to be sarin, a nerve agent, was discovered nearby the Silicon Valley headquarters. The substance hasn’t yet been definitively identified, according to Deadline.
A company spokesperson said workers were cleared to return to the buildings some time after the substance was discovered. The matter is being investigated by Facebook along with local authorities. Bay Area media outlets reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) was also involved.
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The company runs all its packages through a machine that can detect certain substances, according to a report from USA Today.
“The machine things it’s Sarin,” Menlo Park Fire District chief Harold Schapelhouman said. “We don’t know that it’s Sarin.”
No injuries or illness were reported. The building was only evacuated as a precaution, though Menlo Park fire marshall Jon Johnston did note that there were two people potentially exposed. No real information about their condition, or how they came in contact with the substance, was revealed.
Protocol dictated that the two people be examined and cleared or treated if necessary.
“We have two possible exposures but right now they are not exhibiting any signs or symptoms,” Johnston said, according to Reuters.
The package was delivered to a Facebook mail room Monday morning, spokesman Anthony Harrison said.
“At 11:00 AM PDT this morning, a package delivered to one of our mail rooms was deemed suspicious. We evacuated four buildings and are conducting a thorough investigation in coordination with local authorities. Authorities have not yet identified the substance found. As of now, three of the evacuated buildings have been cleared for repopulation and we will share additional information when it is available,” Harrison’s statement read.
Sarin is an incredibly dangerous substance. Exposure can be deadly if not treated immediately with antidotes. Medicines like atropine and pralidoxime chloride are known to reverse the effects. Fresh air and soap on exposed skin are also necessary.
Small exposures to sarin can prove fatal. A fraction of an ounce on the skin can alter the human nervous system enough to kill someone according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Sarin was developed in Germany as a pesticide in the 1930s. It’s odorless, colorless, tasteless and dissolves in water. In certain doses, it can cause convulsions, paralysis, and breathing issues that can be deadly.
No more information about the incident has been made available at this time.
