Powder Letter leads to Evacuation Kortrijkse Court: Woman got powder about her when she opened a letter (Kortrijk)

Although there are no sessions in the Kortrijk court on Monday, there were still forty people working in the building when the powder letter was opened around 10.30 am. « The woman who opened the letter got a part of the powder over him, » says the first substitute Tom Janssens who was also present in court. « We took no risk and the Antrax procedure was started immediately. »

Sausage scenario

All those present had to leave the building and the place on the third floor where the powder letter was opened was closed. Around the entrance of the court there was a perimeter, firefighters in blue suits entered the building to evacuate the victim.

« There is no panic, but we take all the necessary measures to prevent contamination, » says Luk Vancauwenberghe of the Fluvia emergency services. « We assume a sausage scenario. That is why the staff were temporarily evacuated to the new court. We had a washing installation on the spot to wash all the clothing that came into contact with the powder. The victim was packed and taken to the hospital. »

Victim

The state of women is not alarming. « There were no external injuries or irritations, » says Vancauwenberghe. Then it was waiting for the civil protection from Brasschaat that would close the space in which the powder was found, disinfect and eventually release it.

The civil protection must also determine the composition of the powder, but last night there was no definitive answer. « We cannot spend more information about this for the time being. The identity of the person who sent the letter is of course outdated as quickly as possible and he or she will have to bear the consequences, » says Tom Janssens.