State of alert at the Pentagon, the building was urgently evacuated. Hazardous substance incident
A hazardous materials incident prompted a state of alert at the Pentagon building in Washington on Thursday as firefighters investigated an air quality problem, defense and fire officials said.
“The Pentagon has sophisticated systems in place to ensure the safety of the building and its occupants. These systems have detected an air quality issue that requires precautionary measures until we determine its severity,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in an email.
“The department is implementing standard protective protocols, including a shelter-in-place order for the affected area. Response teams are on-site and ready to provide support to building occupants.”
The building was locked down and staff were evacuated from several floors, CNN reported, citing unnamed sources. Floors two through five of corridors four through seven were closed, the US television station said, citing two sources.
Another source said he saw emergency crews wearing full gas masks and chemical suits, according to CNN.
A message sent by the Pentagon's security team announced that additional tests were needed to determine the source of the problem, the US news outlet also reported.
The five-sided Pentagon building, hit during the Al-Qaeda attacks of September 11, 2001, is one of the largest office buildings in the world.
