(Photo Credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Facebook Evacuates Buildings After Sarin Alert

The deadly nerve agent sarin was detected in the mailroom of Facebook’s California offices on Monday, prompting an evacuation at Facebook headquarters. A routine test flagged a bag of mail as positive for sarin.

The FBI is investigating, and employees who were exposed to the mail are being monitored for symptoms of sarin exposure. So far, no one is symptomatic. Facebook says the routine test could have produced a “false positive” result. A Facebook spokesperson said the substance producing a positive test for sarin has not been identified, and the mail warehouse remains under quarantine.

“At 11:00 AM PDT this morning, a package delivered to one of our mailrooms was deemed suspicious,” Facebook spokesperson Anthony Harrison said after the evacuation. “We evacuated four buildings and are conducting a thorough investigation in coordination with local authorities. Authorities have not yet identified the substance found. As of now, three of the evacuated buildings have been cleared for repopulation. The safety of our employees is our top priority and we will share additional information when it is available.”

Sarin is an odorless, colorless poison that can be inhaled by unsuspecting victims. Being exposed to large amounts of sarin gas can cause paralysis and death, but people exposed to small amounts of sarin usually recover with no lasting injuries, according to the FBI.