Several Quarantined in Yonkers

News 12 ^ | 5-16-02

[dogbyte12]

/16/02) YONKERS - St. Joseph's Medical Center in Yonkers has been closed. The entire community surrounding 223 Nepperhan Avenue and Elm Street has been closed. At least two people are on life support. Reports say several hundred people have been quarantined.

Reports suggest that cyanide gas may be responsible.

Stay tuned to News 12 Westchester for continuing live coverage and Chopper 12 footage.

[oceanperch]

There was another thread that seemed to have more of an update. Less hysterical.

[snippy_about_it]

Tin foil hat on

Let's say they just returned from handling cyanide (maybe they were visiting Mexico) and some residue remained on there clothes, skin, whatever. Then they arrived home, fixed dinner, the dry cyanide mixed with liquid and voila.

I was just reading several articles about cyanide because of the report that 9 1/2 tons were missing from that shipment in Mexico last Sunday.

You never know.

</ tin foil hat off>

[American72]

BUMP___Any more updates??

[firewalk]

Family members of some of those sickened say their loved ones had just returned from a visit overseas, and brought home vegetables that were cooked with some meat and eaten at a celebratory meal.

I thought people were not allowed to bring plants/produce of any kind into the country from overseas. Am I wrong?

[angcat]

http://www.news12.com/

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for posting that article (post #246), Semper!
And thanks xJones for the ping on #79. I had already turned my 'puter off when ya
pinged me and I'm playing catch up this morning. Looks like food poisoning, per
Semper's update around midnight.

[UnsinkableMollyBrown]

Several quarantined in Yonkers
(05/16/02) YONKERS Dozens of residents are being kept out of their apartments at 223 Neperhan Avenue in Yonkers after six people became ill from ingesting a toxin, which is believed to come from food. The residents are staying at Saint Casimir’s School in Yonkers. The Red Cross is at the school to aid them. Saint Casimir will remain closed on Friday.

At a news conference, held by Yonkers Mayor John Spencer, he explained, "His purpose Is to ensure the public that local, state, county and federal agencies are looking into this incident... whereby six people are being treated for some kind of poisoning...possibly cynanide or something else. Although, in matters like this, as we all know in these times, we don't want to eliminate anything." Spencer further added that while officials continue to investigate, he wants to send out a general feeling that everything will be okay.

It has been determined that there were no airborne contaminants. Police quarantined an entire Yonkers neighborhood for seven hours. St. Joseph's Medical Center in Yonkers was quarantined at one point during the evening.

Two people, who aided the victims from the building, have been transported to the hospital for testing. The Yonkers Police Department is treating the incident as a crime.

The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m.

[DJ88]

Why would they quarantine people for cyanide? Unless there was something in the cyanide that was an airborne virus. Interesting.

[DJ88]

That's what I thought too....I know my "overseas" visits have been limited to the Bahamas and Jamaica (and Canada) but we were NEVER allowed to bring any type of food home. Even from Hawai'i.

[firewalk]

Thank you, that's what I thought.

I'm wondering where the meat came from. One of the men who got sick said it was the meat.

[contessa machiaveli]

they recently returned from a trip to egypt. that in itself gets me thinking, are they citizens? who are their associates? why are so many arabs involved in misadventures?

[DJ88]

Good questions...why would they have brought MEAT back from Egypt?? I will look and see what/if the State department has to say about what we can/cannot bring back from foreign countries. I cannot IMAGINE that any of this would be allowed back into our country. However, I am not positive about this..just pretty darn sure. ;-)

[firewalk]

They probably got the meat locally. There's livestock auctions here on the east coast. Many people go there to buy for their businesses, and freezers.

[MarkWar]

Just this morning on some news channel I heard that two people were arrested and charged with trespassing at some east coast reservoir. They were on the property "taking pictures" for one reason or another. A new conference was supposed to happen soon, but I didn't find any thread here. (FR's Search function seems to have it's good days and bad days...)

Seems like things are getting interesting. In a scary way...

Mark W.

[UnsinkableMollyBrown]

Residents return home after scare
(05/17/02) YONKERS - Last night, dozens of people were asked to remain at Saint Casimir Church, where an emergency shelter was set up. The church is just down the block from 223 Nepperhan Avenue, where several people became ill from ingesting a toxin believed to have come from food. However, today the scene has been limited to the area surrounding the apartment complex.

[UnsinkableMollyBrown]

St. Casimir's closed in Yonkers

(05/17/02) In Yonkers, several apartment residents got sick from a toxin believed to be from food. The residents are staying at Saint Casimir’s School in Yonkers. The Red Cross is at the school to aid them. As a result of the situation, Saint Casimir will remain closed on Friday.

Sounds like there is still a problem...

[firewalk]

Backhoe, I'm pinging you because you might know the answer to this or have a link.

Does anyone know if my well water would be safe from a Cyanide attack?

[UnsinkableMollyBrown]

According to the article that I posted, the Mayor of Yonkers thinks that these people were poisoned "possibly cynanide or something else." Also, the police are treating it as a crime. I'm sure that we would have more information from the Freeper newshounds if it were on the Breaking News sidebar. It was there, and then it was removed.

This is something that should be more visible. What d'ya say?

[Anthrax_Annie]

"According to one family friend, the food was brought back from a recent trip to Egypt." Oh, well, then...