Anthrax scare shuts British consulate in Beijing

Postal workers in the United States are being advised to wear gloves to avoid contracting the dreaded Anthrax virus in letters

BEIJING, China -- An anthrax scare has led to the shut down of the consular and visa section of the British embassy in Beijing after a package containing white powder was found, an embassy spokesman said.

The consular and visa office in the Kerry Center office block near the British embassy was evacuated Wednesday morning after a staff member opened the package, said embassy spokesman Ben Fender.

"A suspect package was discovered in the visa section today in the Kerry center," Fender told Reuters news agency.

"I can confirm that there was something that appeared to be white powder inside it."

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"We closed the consular and visa section pretty well straight away and evacuated everyone," he added

Fender said he did not know where the package had come from.

There have been several anthrax scares in China but no confirmed cases of the disease.

Three people had already been killed in germ warfare attacks in the United States.

Fender said the British embassy had already notified local police and are now investigating the package and its contents.

Fender declined to say whether anybody was being tested for anthrax but he said the consular and visa section was expected to open as usual on Thursday.

It was the first such scare at a British embassy or consulate in China, he said.