Ricin Powder In U.S. Congress Office

"We’ve undertaken procedures to decontaminate 16 people who were on the floor," said Capitol Hill Police Chief Terrance Gainer, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

According to Reuters, Gainer said the U.S. Capitol Police department was notified by a postal worker in the Dirksen office building shortly after 3 p.m. ( 2000GMT) of a suspicious white powder in a mailroom. He said it was not immediately clear what package or what letter may have held the powder.

But Senator Bill Frist, the Republican leader of the Senate who is also a medical doctor, reassured the public that there were no casualties.

"Nobody’s been hurt and everybody is fine – there have been no injuries whatsoever," said Frist.

But he added: "This is a criminal activity and … will be investigated as such."

"Certain decisions will be made as test results come in during the night … certain offices will be closed," Frist said.

The powder was found in the Dirksen office of the Senate building.

Police and officials expect to announce the results of a further more conclusive test later Tuesday.

Frist said the greatest concerns were over inhalation of the poison. But since anyone affected would have developed breathing problems or other symptoms within four to eight hours, he expressed confidence that no one would be affected.

This is the second bioterror scare the Capitol Hall building has suffered.
The U.S. Congress was a target of anthrax mail attacks in2001 , during which the offices of Democratic senators Thomas Daschle and Patrick Leahy received letters laced with the deadly bacteria.

The letters were received by Daschle and Leahy shortly after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, other letters containing anthrax bacteria were also received by U.S. news organizations.

Anthrax was also detected at a Washington postal bureau.

Ricin is a naturally-occurring toxin found in castor beans and is6 ,000 times more powerful than cyanide.

Although the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been hunting the anthrax attacker or attackers, no arrests have been made.

The anthrax letters mailed between September and November2001 , were the largest-ever bioterror attack on U.S. soil, sickening 22 people, five fatally.