March 11 (UPI) -- Three employees at a post office in upstate New York were sickened after coming in contact with an unknown white power that spilled from a package, according to an official.
Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said the incident occurred early Sunday morning at a U.S. Post Office processing and distribution facility in Colonie, N.Y., near Albany.
Apple said a hazardous materials team tested the powder and initial tests were "negative" and not dangerous. The substance will be sent to a lab for further testing, he said. And postal services agents are investigating.
The workers all contracted a rash and other symptoms after separately entering the package room. They were not hospitalized but needed medical care, officials said.
The first employee went to an urgent care facility. Emergency personnel were called after a second person became ill, shortly after midnight, according to WTEN-TV.
Local fire departments and several hazmat and decontamination crews were then summoned. And employees at the facility were put in quarantine.
The building is closed Sunday while crews clean it.
