Suspicious white powder at UN is probably flour

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 16 (Reuters) A suspicious package with white powder found near media offices at United Nations headquarters turned out to be flour, according to preliminary tests, a UN spokesman said.

Meanwhile, for about four hours hallways were blocked, men in orange hazardous-material suits flooded into the United Nations complex on Manhattan's East River and more than two dozen people involved had to give up their clothes and undergo decontamination.

''Preliminary results of the tests say it is flour,'' said UN spokesman Farhan Haq yesterday.

A mail room employee was stuffing a package into a media mailbox when white powder spilled out, a UN guard said. The employee then carried the package back to one of the UN mail rooms and security was called.

They in turn summoned New York police and environmental protection experts, who ordered the widespread decontamination on three different floors.

Still, Christmas parties continued unabated in other parts of the building.

Gary Fowlie, head of the UN media accreditation, whose office is near the mail room, was one of those who had to give up his clothes.

He wondered out loud how he and his staff would get home, wearing white plastic suits with booties to cover their feet but came up with an answer.

''Someone is going to pay for my taxi,'' he told Reuters.

Reuters LL GC0922