Three people are dead and three others remain hospitalized after 25 people were exposed to an unknown substance at a home in Mountainair, New Mexico, Wednesday. State Police secured the area while HazMat crews worked to sample, identify, decontaminate, and rem
By around 8 a.m. Wednesday, a call about a possible overdose drew paramedics and sheriff’s deputies to a home on Hanlon Avenue and Pinon Street in Mountainair.
When first responders arrived, they found one person dead outside of the home, one dead inside, and two other people who needed resuscitation. One of those two later died at the ER.
A total of 25 people were exposed to an unknown substance at the home, officials said. Three people remain hospitalized: one person is being “quarantined, evaluated and monitored” at University of New Mexico Hospital, along with 18 first responders.
At UNMH, nausea, vomiting and headache were reported as reactive symptoms among those affected. Two of the hospitalized first responders are now in serious condition.
UNMH confirmed it admitted “several patients” just after 10 a.m. for “decontamination and treatment” after exposure to “an unknown substance in Torrance County.”
Albuquerque Fire Rescue HazMat teams are assisting at the scene with identifying the substance. Investigators believe the exposure may have been transmitted through contact and wasn’t airborne.
State Police took over the investigation from the Torrance County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators secured the affected area, saying there is no danger to the community.
“We ask the public to avoid the area and keep all affected individuals and first responders in their thoughts,” State Police stated.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue’s Hazmat Squad from Station 13 assisted on scene, sending a crew into the house in Level-A suits to sample, identify, decontaminate and remove the substance from the home. Officials said they are waiting for test results to come back to identify the substance.
Mountainair New Mexico unknown substance HazMat UNMH State Police Torrance County overdose investigation
So it was like an overdose house but 25 people?? That’s wild. I hope they figure out what it even was.
Man I don’t get how 25 were exposed if it wasn’t airborne. Like if it wasn’t in the air then how did everyone catch it? Contact only doesn’t sound right to me.
I heard on the local radio it was fentanyl or something and they all went down like instant. But then the article says they’re waiting on test results, so which is it? Either way that nausea headache stuff sounds exactly like drug exposure.
Mountainair… that’s sad. I always worry these ‘unknown substances’ are like someone’s DIY chemicals or whatever, and then people keep walking around because they think it’s over. They said no danger to the community but still tell everyone to avoid the area, that part confuses me.