French authorities issued an alert on Monday at the Canadian embassy in Paris when a staff member suffered from a nosebleed after receiving a suspicious envelope, firefighters said.
But tests showed there was no danger and employees were allowed to return to their desks less than two hours later, said Florent Hivert, spokesperson for the Paris firefighters.
”The envelope that was dropped in the mailbox of the embassy contained a piece of fabric that had been soaked in a liquid,” said Hivert, adding that the fabric would be sent to the laboratory for tests.
The incident triggered an alert for possible nuclear, radiological, bacteriological and chemical danger, the so-called NRBC alert.
Under the alert plan, firefighters wear decontamination suits and hundreds of masks are made available for possible victims.
The alert was issued at 9.40am local time and the all-clear given at 11.15am, said Hivert. — AFP
