Mystery substance found on Vancouver bus sets off quarantine

Mystery substance found on Vancouver bus sets off quarantine


VANCOUVER (CP) -
A mysterious substance found on a Vancouver transit bus sparked a quarantine Tuesday in a downtown area that initially captured several reporters and TV camera operators.

The problem started early in the afternoon near the Vancouver waterfront when a transit bus driver discovered a substance and immediately became sick. Two other people on the bus also became ill.

Police believe the substance may be a gas called phosphine, which is an industrial gas used as an insecticide and for pest control.

When the problem was understood, police quarantined the area and sent in members of a hazard materials crew to try to determine the substance.

Vancouver police spokeswoman Const. Sarah Bloor said reporters covering the incident had been released from the quarantine by early evening while others were being put through a decontamination process.


story.news.yahoo.com.../cpress/20040526/ca_pr_on_na/bus_substance

I've been at work all day (downtown) here in vancouver. And this is the first I've heard of it... kinda creepy with all the "terrorist threats" going on lately... Going to watch the local news at 11, to see what was going on. This is especially disconcerning since I take public transit to work every day.

[Edited on 5/25/2004 by smatts]

Any new info on this? I haven't seen anything on T.V. or heard anything on the radio either. Are you pulling our chains? Where did you get this info from? It sounds kind of false!

Vancouver bus quarantined after mystery substance found
Last Updated Tue, 25 May 2004 23:39:01

VANCOUVER - As many as 19 people were quarantined Tuesday after a suspicious substance was discovered on a Vancouver bus.

A hazardous materials team cordoned off the transit bus and removed the substance. The express bus had arrived at Vancouver's Waterfront Centre from Richmond.

Vancouver police secure the area around the bus.

Police say the substance, which consisted of some kind of brown pellets, made the driver and two other passengers sick.

Ten of the people were checked out and allowed to go. The other nine are being decontaminated on site, going through a series of showers and then taken to hospital for observation until emergency staff are satisfied they're no longer at risk.

Officials have not yet positively identified the substance, but police believe it may be phosphine.

Phosphine is a colourless, flammable and explosive gas used in semiconductor and plastics industries to make a flame retardant and a pesticide in stored grain.

Early exposure symptoms include nausea and vomiting, while high levels of exposure can cause weakness, bronchitis, convulsions and death.

www.cbc.ca...

like it


the gas story sound suspicious to me