Mail room of US embassy in Italy closed due to anthrax scare
( 2002-03-16 09:32 ) (7 )

The mail room at the US embassy in Italy was sealed off on Friday afternoon after postal employees found white powder in one of the mail sacks sent from Washington, sources at the embassy confirmed.

Italian local reports said that in the afternoon, firemen were called into the mail room to isolate the postal bag in which the powder was found. The large bag was used for diplomatic post and it is believed that the powder may have spilled out from a letter sent from Washington.

The mail sack was taken to Rome's Umberto I hospital for sterilization after which it will be sent to a special lab in Foggia where a definitive test on its contents can be ready in 72 hours.

The embassy's mail room will remain sealed off until the results of the tests are known.