Three people have died and more than a dozen first responders have been hospitalized following a possible hazmat situation in New Mexico.
At around 11:00 a.m., local time Wednesday, New Mexico State Police rushed to a home in Mountainair for a “suspected overdose,” according to authorities.
Four people inside the home were found “unresponsive,” and three of them have since been confirmed dead, the state police said in a Facebook post.
Eighteen first responders were exposed to an “unidentified substance” and taken to the hospital along with the other person inside the home, authorities said. Several first responders have since been released.
The first responders experienced symptoms including nausea and dizziness, after being exposed to the substance, according to state police. Two of them were in serious condition as of Wednesday afternoon.
At least one person inside the home was revived with Narcan, Torrance County Sheriff David Frazee said in an article published by the Santa Fe New Mexican. Narcan is used to try to save people suspected of overdosing on an opioid.
“Evidently, they must have inhaled some toxins or something from the scene,” Frazee said of the first responders.
Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto said the first responders had “direct contact with the individual who passed, and they were feeling lightheaded, headaches, nausea, things like that,” per the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Nieto said in a Facebook post that while the exact cause of the incident is currently unknown, “all indications are pointing toward narcotics as a possible factor.”
The first responders and the one person inside the home who was still alive were taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital. They are being “quarantined, evaluated, and monitored,” state police said.
New Mexico State Police arrived at the home to help the Torrance County Sheriff’s Office. It’s unclear how many members of each agency were affected by the unknown substance.
Three of the four EMTs from Mountainair EMS have been released from the hospital, Nieto said in a follow-up Facebook post.
EMS Chief Josh Lewis, who was the first to enter the home, will remain in the hospital overnight for observation, the mayor said.
“We are incredibly thankful that the other responders have been released,” Nieto said. “While they are not yet fully recovered, they are doing much better.”
Some Torrance County EMTs and hospital nurses who came into contact with people who were at the home also experienced symptoms, according to the mayor.
Nieto later said the University of New Mexico Hospital confirmed it has not treated any of its nurses in connection with the incident.
“We are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers and wishing them a full and speedy recovery,” Nieto said.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue Hazmat teams are working to identify the substance. Investigators believe it may be spread through contact rather than being airborne, according to authorities.
Mountainair Public Works confirmed that the substance was not carbon monoxide or related to natural gas.
Authorities said they secured a perimeter around the home and that there is “no threat to the public.”
“We ask the public to avoid the area and keep all affected individuals and first responders in their thoughts,” state police said.
Nieto also responded to what he said were “comments claiming that we are not taking the drug situation seriously.”
“We absolutely are,” the mayor said. “Our first responders, law enforcement, medical personnel, and local officials work every day to protect this community and respond to difficult situations.”
