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| 'Suspicious packages' found at foreign missions in Australia | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Australian police are investigating suspicious packages found at foreign consulates and embassies in Melbourne and Canberra. | |
| Melbourne's Metropolitan Fire Brigade said it had been called to "a number of incidents" across the city. | Melbourne's Metropolitan Fire Brigade said it had been called to "a number of incidents" across the city. |
| Consulates of the UK, Switzerland, the US and Pakistan are among those evacuated there. | |
| Some of the packages were reported to contain what appeared to be concrete, and were labelled asbestos. | |
| There were no reports of harm to any staff. | |
| "The packages are being examined by attending emergency services. The circumstances are being investigated," the Australian Federal Police said. | "The packages are being examined by attending emergency services. The circumstances are being investigated," the Australian Federal Police said. |
| State police in Melbourne said the incidents there were believed to be "targeted and not impacting the general community". | |
| Emergency workers had been seen at consulates belonging to the US, India, Pakistan, Greece, South Korea, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and France according to Australian broadcaster ABC News. | |
| They also attended an incident at a building housing the Consulate General of Turkey, ABC said. | |
| Some emergency workers were seen carrying large bags with the words Danger Asbestos written on them, Australian media report. | |
| A British High Commission official said its consulate general in Melbourne had also been targeted but "all our staff are safe and accounted for". | |
| "We are liaising closely with the [federal police] and the local authorities," the official added. | |
| The US consulate in Melbourne had notified authorities about a suspicious package, a spokesman told Reuters. | |
| 1. New Zealand Consulate General; 2. Consulate General of Pakistan; 3. Honorary Consulate General of France; 4. Greek Consulate General; 5. Consulate General of Italy; 6. US Consulate General Melbourne; 7. Consulate of Switzerland | 1. New Zealand Consulate General; 2. Consulate General of Pakistan; 3. Honorary Consulate General of France; 4. Greek Consulate General; 5. Consulate General of Italy; 6. US Consulate General Melbourne; 7. Consulate of Switzerland |
| The Swiss consulate in Melbourne was sent a small envelope containing a substance labelled "asbestos", said Peter Erb, the husband of honorary consul Manuela Erb. | The Swiss consulate in Melbourne was sent a small envelope containing a substance labelled "asbestos", said Peter Erb, the husband of honorary consul Manuela Erb. |
| "We immediately put the envelope in another bag and rang the emergency service and they came and took it away," he told the BBC. | "We immediately put the envelope in another bag and rang the emergency service and they came and took it away," he told the BBC. |
| "We do know now that the item was not likely a bio-hazard." | "We do know now that the item was not likely a bio-hazard." |
| On Monday, suspicious parcels containing a white substance were sent to Argentina's consulate in Sydney. They were later found to be non-toxic. | On Monday, suspicious parcels containing a white substance were sent to Argentina's consulate in Sydney. They were later found to be non-toxic. |