CNN, citing three sources, reported that several floors and hallways were closed at the Pentagon’s headquarters in Arlington due to a “hazardous materials incident.”
According to interviewers, corridors four through seven on floors two through five are isolated in the Pentagon complex. The employees were evacuated from there. Another source said police officers in the building were wearing gas masks and full chemical protection gear.
A message sent by Pentagon security said that an “air quality issue” had been discovered and that further inspection was needed, which could take between one and two hours.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that the building’s internal systems detected an “air quality problem.” “The department is following standard protection protocols, including a stay-at-home order in the affected area,” Parnell said.
According to a statement from Arlington Fire Rescue. She saysThe Pentagon’s Hazardous Materials Team assists the Pentagon in responding to a potential hazardous materials incident.