Suspicious Packages Force Consulates in Melbourne to Evacuate

Several foreign consulates in Australia were forced to evacuate Wednesday after receiving suspicious packages, the Associated Press reports. Diplomatic offices including those of Italy, India, Germany, Spain, and South Korea in Melbourne were vacated as first responders swarmed the buildings. According to the government-run website Vic Emergency, at least 10 “hazardous material” incidents in the city were identified, included at the consulates of the U.S., Switzerland, Pakistan, and New Zealand. The consulates of Greece, France, and Hong Kong also reportedly received suspicious packages, as well as diplomatic missions in Canberra, the AP reports. “The circumstances surrounding these incidents are being investigated,” the Australian Federal Police said in a statement. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a New Zealand consulate worker said the packages in question were envelopes labeled “asbestos” containing plastic sandwich bags holding a fibrous material.