UPDATE: Umbilo ‘anthrax’ victims isolated

TESTS done on the powder which was released from an envelope in the Umbilo SAPS station commissioner’s office have been declared inconclusive.

According to Sgt Beverly Manqele, communications officer from Umbilo SAPS, more information has come to light regarding the incident after speaking with Col Mkhize.

“Two men from 261 Che Guevara (Moore) Road rushed to the station commander’s office with a parcel full of an unknown powder with a note ‘so you think you are clever let’s see what you are going to do with this’ attached. Col Mkhize called a warrant officer to wrap the powder up and he called the explosives unit,” she said.

She said the people that were exposed, which included three SAPS employees and two members of the public, were kept in isolation.

“The tests were done as the powder was suspected to be anthrax, but they were not conclusive. The five people were taken to hospital for further tests,” she said.

Following the incident, the company in Che Guevara Road where the men with the package worked, was evacuated, along with the pre-school next to the premises, and Moore Road was closed to traffic.

Update to follow.