Nerve agent: British town urged to remain calm
Nerve agent: British town urged to remain calm
Investigation
London, July 9, 2018 (dpa/NAN) Head of British local council on Monday urged residents of Wiltshire community to remain calm as officials investigate the death of a local woman after exposure to a nerve agent.
“Wiltshire is a resilient community but this is really testing that resilience now,” said Jane Scott.
The 44-year-old victim died after being exposed to Novichok in Amesbury, Wiltshire.
A 45-year-old man who was also exposed to the nerve agent remains critically ill. The pair were hospitalised June 29 with poisoning symptoms.
Around 100 detectives from the Counter Terrorism Policing Network were working alongside the Wilthsire police, Scotland Yard, said in a statement.
Calling it “shocking and tragic news”, Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the head of UK Counter Terrorism policing, said the police were working meticulously to gather all the available evidence and identify those responsible for the “outrageous, reckless and barbaric act”.
Prime Minister Theresa May said she was “appalled and shocked” at the news.
“Police and security officials are working urgently to establish the facts of this incident, which is now being investigated as a murder,” British news agency Press Association, reported.
Russian former double agent Sergei Skripal, and his daughter were found collapsed in Salisbury about 10 kilometres from Amesbury in March, after they were poisoned with Novichok.
Both later recovered.
Last week, Britain urged Russia to explain the use of a nerve agent in southern England, after it was confirmed that the couple in Amesbury were exposed to the same nerve agent as Skripal and his daughter. (NAN)
OYE/MST
Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Muhammad Suleiman Tola