Hazmat team is scrambled to Washington movie theater and manager is rushed to hospital after opening a box leaking ‘highly contagious’ urine which was wrongly delivered there instead of to medical clinic
- Five hazmat techs were at the North Bend Theatre in Washington Friday night
- Manager opened a box labeled ‘highly contagious human substance’ and the ‘unknown liquid’ was leaking out
- Hazmat said that one patient was treated in hospital, merely as a precaution
- The package was isolated and ‘disposed of appropriately in a bio container’
- The liquid turned out to be urine intended to be sent to a clinic 40 miles away
- No one was injured and the theater said the package was ‘mislabeled’
A Washington movie theater was evacuated on Friday night and a manager was rushed to hospital after the venue received a box marked ‘highly contagious human substance’.
Five hazmat techs were on the scene at the North Bend Theatre – situated in the town of the same name – as the box was isolated and one patient treated as a precaution.
Theater staff took action and called emergency services after a manger opened the package that had an ‘unknown liquid’ – later identified as urine – leaking out.
Five hazmat techs (pictured) were at the North Bend Theatre in Washington on Friday night
Images showed the B171, B181, L171, HM173, A171, E178 and E182 teams working to isolate the box as movie-goers and locals panicked about what caused the commotion
A manager opened a box labeled ‘highly contagious human substance’ and the ‘unknown liquid’ was leaking out, Eastside Firefighters (pictured) said
Images showed the B171, B181, L171, HM173, A171, E178 and E182 teams working as movie-goers and locals panicked about what caused the commotion.
When asked whether the delivery was inside or outside of the building on Friday night, firefighters said it was outside.
‘Hazmat techs are coming up with a plan for the package. Control zones have been established,’ Eastside Firefighters tweeted in an update to concerned neighbors.
With no knowledge of what sparked the panic, social media users speculated over whether the substance was blood.
Yellow tape surrounded the building as a warning for cinema fans to stay away and a large black garbage bag was pictured outside the venue.
Two hours later, firefighters shared that there was no need for followers to fear the worst.
Hazmat said that one patient was treated in hospital but it was merely as a precaution
Authorities said: ‘Hazmat techs are coming up with a plan for the package. Control zones have been established’
In an update, firefighters said: ‘Command has now been terminated. In the end the call was deemed minor in nature. Event was not considered suspicious or malicious. No injuries’
‘Command has now been terminated. In the end the call was deemed minor in nature,’ they tweeted. ‘Event was not considered suspicious or malicious. No injuries.’
The liquid was ‘disposed of appropriately in a bio container,’ an official added.
ZI Eastside Hazmat added that the ‘substance was later determined to be non-hazardous’.
One woman tweeted: ‘My son works at BofA across the street from the North Bend theater. The weirdest things happen in our little town.’
It’s unclear how the package got to movie theater.
The substance was intended to be delivered to a medical clinic in Tacoma which is 40 miles away, KOMO News reported.
The movie theater was forced to pick up the pieces and reassure cinema fans that it was safe to return to watch Frozen II. It said the package was ‘mislabeled’
But the movie theater was forced to pick up the pieces and reassure cinema fans that it was safe to return to watch Frozen II, which is screening 3pm Monday to Thursday and twice a day Friday to Sunday.
‘All is well. The emergency vehicles you may have seen in front of the theatre on Friday, November 29, were there in response to our call regarding a mislabeled package that was leaking an unknown liquid,’ North Bend Theatre explained.
‘Our fabulous Eastside Fire & Rescue and Snoqualmie Police handled the situation with their usual professionalism. There was no danger.
‘We will be open as usual tomorrow, Saturday, November 30th. If you have any concerns or questions, please call our office at 425-499-2897.’