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Apple Store evacuated after employees fall ill, hazmat teams investigate suspicious package

An Apple Store in Monterey, California was evacuated yesterday as employees began to fall ill reportedly due to a package delivered to the location covered with an unknown substance. CBS reports that “fire and hazmat officials determined the package was contaminated in transit when an unknown substance most likely leaked onto the package’s exterior.”

Employees at the store in the Del Monte Shopping Center called 911 at 12:25 p.m. after some employees began feeling dizzy and nauseous after handling a package that was delivered to the store, according to Monterey Fire Chief Gaudenz Panholzer… Firefighters and the Monterey County regional hazardous materials team evacuated three stores, including the Apple store, as well as an outdoor eating area, according to Panholzer.

Officials later told The Monterey Herald that the substance was likely organic peroxide, often used as a disinfectant, and reportedly leaked onto the package at a FedEx distribution center before going out for delivery.

Monterey Herald said four people were taken to hospital, most of whom were Apple employees, but there was no information on their status.

The images above and below come from Twitter users on the scene (via BI) and more images and video below via @VFisher45:

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Comments

  1. chrisl84 - 9 years ago

    Aren’t dangerous working conditions for Apple supposed to be limited to China? I kid I kid, hope everyone is alright.

  2. juniorpond - 9 years ago

    When I read the headline, my first thought was, “looks like someone hates Apple so much that they were even willing to go so far as to put nearly deadly substance packages and send them off to Apple Stores to make people sick”, but after reading the entire story, it looks like it was just a mistake (or at least, I hope so).

    That would be pretty nasty to have something like that happen, though.

  3. jrox16 - 9 years ago

    The hateful Fandroids and Samsheep are really taking their irrational hatred too far.

  4. Iven Tenz (@ivenalot) - 9 years ago

    America is pretty good at making small problems to big ones. Especially when I see a fire truck coming for cyclist who fell down on a sidewalk.

    • babywrinkels - 9 years ago

      While I’m sure this does sometimes happen in excess – some of the most serious brain injuries have come from someone tripping or falling whilst just walking down the street. A fire truck (probably the nearest EMTs) responding to a cyclist falling off a bike (higher height than just walking) seems like not too much of an over-response.

    • r00fus1 - 9 years ago

      Firefighters are also “first responders” and react where ambulances would be overkill or too late. Not sure what the analogy in the rest of the world is.

  5. carmenia83 - 9 years ago

    “Delivery for you from Sam Sung. Just sign here please.”

  6. gh0stpupp3t - 9 years ago

    Holy crap! o_o

  7. Gazoo Bee - 9 years ago

    These kind of things are often more in the mind than anything real. The trigger is usually a real thing, but the “effects” tend to be more perceived than actual.

  8. How come there’s no mention of the FedEx driver getting sick too?

  9. Ren Jinshen Ryu - 9 years ago

    Are the Feds probing Google yet?

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.