Three dead, dozens hospitalised after unknown substance exposure in US

Three people were found dead, and more than a dozen emergency responders were quarantined and medically evaluated after attending a suspected overdose at a rural home in New Mexico, US, over concerns of exposure to an unknown substance.

Four people were initially discovered unresponsive at a home in Mountainair, east of Albuquerque, New Mexico State Police said. Three were pronounced dead, while the fourth was taken to an Albuquerque hospital for treatment, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

First responders who entered the home were exposed to the substance and began showing symptoms such as nausea and dizziness. Authorities said two of the hospitalised responders remain in critical condition.

Mountainair Mayor Peter Nieto stated there is no threat to the wider public, noting that the substance is likely dangerous only through direct contact.

Local fire officials have called for stronger protective measures for emergency responders during similar incidents in the future. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, New Mexico is among the states with the highest drug overdose death rates in the country.

By Jeyhun Aghazada