6:44 PM: A San Francisco post office reopened this afternoon after it was evacuated for several hours when five employees felt ill after finding a mysterious white powder on their clothing, according to authorities.
The postal workers walked to the nearby Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, located about a block away at 900 Hyde St., around 10:30 a.m. U.S. Postal Inspection Service spokesman Jeff Fitch said.
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The incident was reported to fire officials at 11:38 a.m. after the five postal workers walked over to the hospital, a fire official said.
The post office, located at 1400 Pine St., was evacuated and remained closed until about 2 p.m., Fitch said.
A hazardous materials team responded to the hospital and the post office and did not find any harmful substances at either location.
San Francisco Department of Public Health spokeswoman Eileen Shields said the five employees were evaluated at the hospital and released around 1 p.m.
The hospital was not evacuated, hospital spokeswoman Dee Mostofi said.
Fitch said operations at the post offices resumed for the remainder of the workday.
12:44 PM: A San Francisco post office was evacuated late this morning after five employees found a mysterious white powder on their clothing and walked to the nearby Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, according to a city health official and the fire department.
The incident was reported at 11:38 a.m. at the post office at 1400 Pine St. The five postal workers walked over to the hospital, located about a block away at 900 Hyde St., a fire official said.
San Francisco Department of Public Health spokeswoman Eileen Shields said the five employees were evaluated at the hospital and released around 1 p.m.
The hospital was not evacuated, hospital spokeswoman Dee Mostofi said.
The Office of Emergency Services is asking the public to avoid the area around Pine and Larkin streets. The post office remained shut down as of 1:15 p.m.
Sasha Lekach, Bay City News
12:44 PM: San Francisco firefighters are responding to a possible hazardous materials situation at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, a fire department spokeswoman said.
The incident was reported at 11:38 a.m. today at the hospital, located at 900 Hyde St. between Pine and Bush streets.
Fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said crews are “testing a substance on somebody’s clothing” at the hospital.
No other information about the incident was immediately available.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
