LONDON — British police declared a “major incident” early Wednesday after a man and woman in their 40s were believed to have been exposed to an “unknown substance” near the historic town of Salisbury in south England.
Counterterrorism investigators from the Metropolitan Police have been dispatched to assist.
Authorities said the two, who were found unconscious over the weekend, are in critical condition in the same Salisbury hospital where the former Russian spy and double agent Sergei Skripal and his adult daughter, Yulia, were treated after being poisoned by the Soviet-era nerve agent known as Novichok four months ago.
After a lengthy treatment, the Skripals were released from the hospital and continue to recover in an undisclosed location, protected by British authorities. Prime Minister Theresa May blamed Russia for the nerve agent assault against the Skripals.
It is unclear whether there is any connection between the Skripal attack and the current incident. Police said tests were ongoing to discover what sickened the two people in the latest case of a suspected poisoning.
[Former Russian spy leaves hospital more than 2 months after nerve agent attack]
British newspapers reported that samples were taken to the nearby U.K. military research center at Porton Down, the same facility that helped identify the nerve agent in the Skripal case.
A spokesman for the prime minister said the incident “is being treated with the utmost seriousness.”
A special national security committee met on the matter Wednesday morning.
“Based upon the number of casualties affected, it is not believed that there is a significant health risk to the wider public,” said the Wiltshire Police, adding that it was not yet known whether the two were the victims of a crime.
Officials said the officers were keeping “an open mind” to see where the evidence leads them.
“Emergency services were called to an address in Muggleton Road, Amesbury on Saturday evening (June 30) after a man and woman, both in their 40s, were found unconscious in a property,” the police said.
Officials did not say why they had waited four days to declare a “major incident.”
“Wiltshire Police and partners have this evening declared a major incident after it is suspected that two people might have been exposed to an unknown substance in Amesbury,” police said.
Amesbury is about six miles north of Salisbury. Police cordoned off several sites in both Amesbury and Salisbury where they suspected the couple visited. Local reporters said the sites included a church and a park.
Read more:
Why did Russia poison one of its ex-spies in Britain?
Britain to anyone near nerve agent attack: Keep calm and wash your stuff
How a Russian ex-spy was saved from one of the deadliest nerve agents ever
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