US News
Missing vial of nerve agent prompts lockdown at US base
Jan 28, 2011, 10:15 GMT
Los Angeles - The commander of a military base in Utah ordered a complete lockdown after a vial of the deadly VX nerve agent went missing, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday.
Officials at the Army's Dugway Proving Ground noticed the missing vial on Wednesday night and immediately locked the base's gates forcing up to 2,200 people to stay on base overnight while a frantic search was launched for the missing vial.
A spokesperson said the vial of less than 1 milliliter of VX was eventually discovered at 3 am. It transpired that workers who were using the substance to perform tests on sensor machines returned the substance to a mislabeled vial, and a later inventory check uncovered the discrepancy.
VX is one of the most deadly known nerve agents and even a tiny amount can cause painful death by asphyxiation.
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