Mysterious Substance On Package Sickens Apple Store Employees, Sends 4 To Hospital

Retail stores receive lots of packages every day, but no one expects them to send employees to the hospital. That’s what happened at an Apple Store in Monterey, California, when a package covered with a mysterious chemical made store employees ill, sending four to the hospital and forcing authorities to evacuate that area of the mall.

After a delivery to the store, some of the employees said that they were nauseated and dizzy, and someone called 911. A hazardous materials team arrived with other emergency personnel, evaluating eight people on the scene who reported feeling ill, and transporting four people to a hospital.

What was the mysterious biohazard? Authorities still haven’t announced what could have made so many people ill, but they were able to determine that it had leaked onto the outside of the package, and the contamination had most likely occurred in transit.

The Apple Store and other surrounding stores stayed closed well into the afternoon, and local authorities kept investigating.

Package Covered In ‘Unknown Liquid’ Prompts Apple Store Evacuation, Hazmat Response In Monterey [CBS SF Bay Area]
Monterey Apple store evacuated after package sickens employees [SF Gate]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.