Two British poisoned with the same substance as Skripal

The two patients in critical condition were exposed to the same substance as the former Russian spy Skripal and her daughter.
  

The shadow of the Skripal affair continues to hover over Salisbury in England. The badyzes revealed Wednesday that the two patients hospitalized since Saturday in critical condition "have been exposed to Novitchok's innervating agent," said Neil Basu, the head of British counterterrorism. It was the same neurotoxic agent, of Soviet design, that had been used against the Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal last March. "It will be up to scientists to determine if it comes from the same batch," said Neil Basu.

After this discovery of the Porton Down military laboratory, the investigation was resumed by the anti-terrorist police. "The priority of the investigators is now to determine how these two people came in contact with the innervating agent," said the head of counter-terrorism. According to him, there is "no evidence" suggesting that the man and the woman "were targeted in any way". And "there is no indication" that they "recently visited one of the decontaminated sites after the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal".

British cabinet meeting in emergency

The couple in their 40s is hospitalized since Saturday in Salisbury, in the same establishment where the former spy and her daughter had been treated for several weeks before they could exit. Sam Hobson, who introduced himself as their friend and said he visited them on Saturday, said that Dawn Sturgess first fell ill, and had "foam coming out of her mouth". Then Charlie "sweated heavily, and we could not talk to him, he made funny noises, and he rocked back and forth without answering."

The British cabinet is scheduled to meet in an emergency on Thursday while a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May said the event was being treated with "utmost seriousness".

A low risk for the public

The police wanted rebaduringly that the risk to the public remained "low". Security cordons were set up in five locations where the two 40-year-olds would have traveled and the police presence was reinforced, including the Amesbury dwelling, the city's Baptist Church and Queen Elizabeth Gardens. Salisbury.

Although there is "no immediate risk to health," public health agency Public Health England (PHE) advised "as a precaution" to people who have traveled to the same places as victims between Friday night and Saturday afternoon to wash their clothes.