One of the police’s hypotheses is that it could be anthrax powder that was delivered in a package to the Eyüp Sultan mosque in Stavanger, says operations manager Steinar Knudsen.
The police are now considering how many to test. The fire service has assisted the police with so-called cleaning procedure tents at the site where one person has showered and got clean clothes, according to the operations manager.
One person will be examined at Stavanger University Hospital.
The mosque: – Got hate mail with powder
– We received a letter in the mailbox of the mosque with some hate messages and a white powder inside. We have received some hate messages a few years ago, but not like this, says chairman of the Rogaland Islamic Community Association, Ahmet Coksurer.
He is glad the police are treating this as a threatening situation.
Both the police, fire brigade, ambulance and chemical divers are on the scene.
It is currently unclear whether the powder can be dangerous.
– The police bomb squad is on its way from Oslo. They have the expertise to secure the substance and have it sent to the Institute of Public Health, says operations manager in the South-West police district Steinar Knudsen.
There are several people in the building.
One person is said to have been in contact with the package’s contents, but no one has been reported injured.
The police do not consider that there is a danger to the public, but they have asked for assistance from national resources to handle the package in the best possible way.
Knudsen cannot say anything about when they will get an answer as to what the powder contains.
The municipal management has been notified
– We are notified via the emergency services and are in constant contact with the police and healthcare via our municipal doctor, says Stavanger municipal director Per Kristian Vareide.
He says they are following the situation closely and that both he and the mayor are informed.
There is no crisis staff.
Published
29.04.2024, at 17.02
Updated
29.04.2024, at 18.00
