Britain: Fresh case of chemical attack; two exposed to same nerve agent used on Russian spy

A British couple was reportedly exposed to Novichok - the same nerve agent that was used on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

A police officer stands guard over a public rubbish bin that is cordoned off in Amesbury, near Salisbury, southern England, on July 5, 2018 in connection with the investigation and major incident launched after a man and woman were found unconscious after exposure to what was later identified as the nerve agent Novichok./Image: AFP PHOTO / Chris J Ratcliffe

New Delhi: After the brazen chemical attack on the former double agent and his daughter in Britain’s Salisbury earlier this year, another case of a similar attack reportedly has come up, leaving the country shocked and terrified, prompting an emergency cabinet meeting on Thursday. A British couple was reportedly exposed to Novichok - the same nerve agent that was used on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The couple (aged 44 and 45 years), was taken critically ill after being exposed to Novichok on Saturday in Amesbury is south-western England. The investigations are being led by Counter-terrorism police after the tests at laboratory confirmed the nature of the substance. Britain has accused that Novichok is a Russia made military grade nerve agent. As per reports, the police is trying to establish how the couple came into contact with the deadly nerve agent. The initial probe did not find any evidence to suggest that the man and the woman were targeted in any way. In the previous case of Salisbury poisoning, double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found collapsed on a bench on March 4. UK and other countries had collectively condemned the ‘attack’ that was allegedly conducted by Russia.