WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Eleven people fell ill and three were transported to a hospital on Tuesday after a letter was opened at a U.S. military base in Arlington, Virginia, the fire department and a base spokeswoman said.

“Someone opened a letter and everyone at the office started feeling badly,” said Leah Rubalcaba, a spokeswoman for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.

The three people taken to a hospital were in stable condition, Arlington Fire Department said on Twitter.

The letter was opened in the Marine Corps’ portion of the base, which is located near Washington.

“An envelope containing an unknown substance was received” at the base, the Marine Corps said in a statement.

The building was “screened and cleared” and the letter removed, it said.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are conducting a joint investigation.</s>ARLINGTON, Va. (NBC4 Washington) — Nearly a dozen people, including several Marines, at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall fell ill Tuesday after a suspicious letter containing an unknown substance was opened.

The letter was recieved about 3:30 p.m. in Henderson Hall, which Arlington Fire officials described as an administrative building.

A gunnery sergeant opened a letter and showed it to a superior, a Pentagon official told NBC News.

11 people began to feel ill, and the building was evacuated. Three of those people were taken to a hospital in stable condition, officials said in a press release.

The Marines affected reported itchy hands and face and bloody noses, a Marine official said. It is unclear how many people suffered from those symptoms.

A large number of police and medics responded to the Northern Virginia military base, which is near the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. The FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and local hazardous material teams cleared the building with base police.

The NCIS and FBI are conducting a joint investigation, according to a press release.

Information was not available immediately on what the unknown substance could be.</s>WASHINGTON: Eleven people fell ill and three were transported to a hospital on Tuesday after a letter was opened at a US military base in Arlington, Virginia, the fire department and a base spokeswoman said.

“Someone opened a letter and everyone at the office started feeling badly,” Leah Rubalcaba — a spokeswoman for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall — said.

The three people taken to a hospital were in stable condition, Arlington Fire Department said on Twitter.

The letter was opened in the Marine Corps’ portion of the base, which is located near Washington.

“An envelope containing an unknown substance was received” at the base, the Marine Corps said on Twitter.

“Personnel in the affected building took immediate preventative measures by evacuating the building,” it said.</s>WASHINGTON - Eleven people fell ill and three were transported to a hospital on Tuesday after a letter was opened at a military base in Arlington, Virginia, the fire department and a base spokeswoman said.



"Someone opened a letter and everyone at the office started feeling badly," said Leah Rubalcaba, a spokeswoman for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.



The three people taken to a hospital were in stable condition, Arlington Fire Department said on Twitter.</s>ARLINGTON, Va. – Eleven people fell ill after a suspicious letter was opened in an administrative building at Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday, according to the Arlington County Fire Department.

A law enforcement official said field tests for the letter all came back negative for any harmful substance, but the FBI is transporting it tonight to its lab in Quantico for further analysis.

Of the 11 individuals who felt ill, three were transported to a local hospital and are in a stable condition, a spokesperson for the department said.

“An envelope containing an unknown substance was received, today, aboard Joint Base Ft. Myer-Henderson Hall. Personnel in the affected building took immediate preventative measures by evacuating the building,” according to Maj. Brian Block, a US Marine Corps spokesperson.

“Base officials and are coordinating with local HAZMAT teams and FBI. Several Marines are receiving medical care as a result of this incident. No additional details are available at this time as the investigation is ongoing,” Block said.

The law enforcement official said the text of the letter contained derogatory, at time unintelligible and ranting language, and was addressed to a commanding officer at the base. Investigators are still determining what relationship, if any, the sender had with the base.

The spokesperson for the Arlington Country Fire Department said that the incident response is being scaled back, however, the investigation remains ongoing.

A corporal, gunnery sergeant and a colonel all exhibited symptoms of a burning sensation on their hands and face, according to Specialist Nicholas Hodges who spoke to CNN from the base.

It is unclear at this time whether the letter was opened and who exactly handled it.

The incident occurred in the 1 p.m. hour in building 29, known as Henderson Hall, where Marines and civilians work.

A spokesperson for Arlington Fire Department told CNN they are assisting in the matter.</s>ARLINGTON, Va. — 11 people fell ill after a suspicious letter was opened in an administrative building at Joint Base Fort Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday, according to the Arlington County Fire Department.

Of the 11 individuals who felt ill, three were transported to a local hospital and are in a stable condition, a spokesperson for the department said.

“An envelope containing an unknown substance was received, today, aboard Joint Base Ft.Myer-Henderson Hall. Personnel in the affected building took immediate preventative measures by evacuating the building,” according to Maj. Brian Block, a US Marine Corps spokesperson.

“Base officials and are coordinating with local HAZMAT teams and FBI. Several Marines are receiving medical care as a result of this incident. No additional details are available at this time as the investigation is ongoing,” Block said.

The spokeperson for the Arlington Country Fire Department said that the incident response is being scaled back, however, the investigation remains ongoing.

A corporal, gunnery sergeant and a colonel all exhibited symptoms of a burning sensation on their hands and face, according to Specialist Nicholas Hodges who spoke to CNN from the base.

It is unclear at this time whether the letter was opened and who exactly handled it.

The incident occurred in the 1 p.m. hour in building 29, known as Henderson Hall, where Marines and civilians work.

A spokesperson for Arlington Fire Department told CNN they are assisting in the matter.

This story is breaking and will be updated.</s>Three people were hospitalized in stable condition after opening a letter containing an unknown substance at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall near Arlington, Virginia, authorities said Tuesday.

Eleven people reported feeling ill, Arlington fire officials said. People in the building took "immediate preventative measures" and evacuated the building, the Marine Corps said on Twitter, adding that several Marines were those receiving medical care.

People inside the office where the letter was opened said they began feeling poorly and complained of sore throats, a spokesperson at the military base told The Associated Press.

Officials at the U.S. military base are coordinating with local hazmat teams and FBI investigators.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. Marines have been released after being evaluated for symptoms that began after a letter was opened at a military base in Arlington, Virginia, a base spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Eleven people began feeling ill on Tuesday after a letter containing an unknown substance was opened on the Marine Corps side of the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the incident.

 Three Marines were released from the hospital on Tuesday night after additional medical evaluations, said Leah Rubalcaba, a spokeswoman for the base outside Washington.

 She said symptoms included dizziness, nausea and nosebleeds in some cases.

 

 (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by David Gregorio)</s>A number of people became sick — and three were taken to the hospital — after a letter was opened at a military base in Virginia.

A total of 11 people fell ill at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Fort Myer on Tuesday after an unknown substance was found in an envelope, according to ABC News.

The building was evacuated and three people, including two Marines, were transported to a hospital.

The base is next to Arlington National Cemetery and close to the Pentagon.

It was unclear if the unknown substance was harmful.</s>Transcript for Envelope containing unknown substance opened at Joint Base Myer: Marine official

And we begin with that hazmat scene unfolding at this hour at a military base not far from the Pentagon. Several people falling ill, including Marines. Several transported for treatment at this hour, after an unknown substance was discovered in an envelope sent to the base. Let's get right to ABC's Martha Raddatz leading us off. What have you learned tonight? Reporter: Well, David, joint base Meyer is just across the river from Washington. It is where the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff lives and several of the service chiefs. Cars are searched, mail is normally screened, but a marine Corps official tells ABC news that after an envelope containing an unknown substance was opened late this afternoon at an administration building in Henderson hall, several people started to feel ill, a burning sensation, and the building was immediately evacuated. The Arlington, Virginia, fire department is reporting that 11 people felt sick and three were taken to the hospital, believed to be Marines, where they are now reported to be in stable condition. And the FBI is now involved, as well, David. All right, but in stable condition tonight. Martha, thank you.
A letter containing an unknown substance opened at a U.S. military base in Arlington, Virginia, leaves 11 people ill, with three being hospitalized.