Hong Kong, Nov 13 (AFP) Police in hazmat suits enteredthe US Consulate General in Hong Kong today after an envelopecontaining white powder sparked a security alert at thecomplex.
Visa appointments were cancelled and members of thepublic queing to enter were ordered to leave as the consulatescrambled to react to the incident.
Uniformed police officers were also seen donning gasmasks outside the building in the busy Central district of thesouthern Chinese financial hub.
Four police vans and a bomb disposal truck were seendeployed at the sealed-off main entrance.
However, the consulate later said the powder was notfound to be hazardous.
"We can confirm that an envelope containing white powderwas opened inside the Consulate General today," a spokespersonfor the US consulate said.
"The incident has now been resolved. Visa appointmentsfor the rest of the day remain cancelled," the spokespersonadded.
"As always, our highest priority is the safety of ourpersonnel and visitors." (AFP)KIS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.